Chapter 5

Coulson had gathered all the agents in his office with Noctus and Skye. The atmosphere was tense and Mack, the agent who had been controlled by the city, regularly glared at Noctus who, for his part, didn't seem to notice the general atmosphere.

The agent Trip had returned to San Juan to oversee the submersion of the Kree city to prevent access after Noctus gave his consent as the city had already served its purpose and was now an empty shell.

Fitz and Simmons, the scientists, were next to Skye, showing her the results of her blood analysis. Coulson had received the report himself minutes before the meeting and the results were clear. Skye was in perfect condition, even better than before her transformation.

Coulson looked at Bobby who was standing next to Mack with Hunter and giving Noctus mixed looks. Surprisingly, Hunter seemed to just be waiting for the meeting to start just like May.

"Well, everyone is here. We all know why we're here so I'll cut to the point. Simmons, if you will?"

"Of course director." Simmons replied and quickly stood up, displaying the test results on the screen for everyone to see.

"After doing a battery of tests, we have reached a positive conclusion. Mack has no sequel of his time in the city. Skye is in good physical health, especially after recovering tonight. In fact, she's better than ever. We are still waiting for the DNA sequencing but we weren't able to detect what gives her her ability." Simmons paused for a second and Noctus took the opportunity to intervene.

"It's because you're looking at the problem the wrong way. Each Inhuman has a different ability and they store the energy in a quantic state when they don't use their gift. Without specialized equipment, you won't even be able to differentiate them aside for those with physical changes. Her DNA however, will have significant changes since it's the link by which the energy flows in their body.

Simmons considered Noctus's words. "We will need to do more tests when Skye masters her power."

Noctus nodded. "That's a good idea. I have to point out that Inhuman powers cannot be explained without going into the realm of dimensional energy. For the notable facts, Inhumans have powers of all sorts but for the most part, they just want to live peacefully."

"And you then, what are you? You are not an Inhuman if I understood correctly so what? Another race, like the Asgardians?"

It was Mack who had asked the question, clearly on edge and suspicious. Noctus looked at Coulson who nodded, causing an amused smile to appear on the face of the being of still unknown origins.

"I guess it's time to tell my story and give you an idea of ​​my abilities." Noctus walked to the center of the room and took control of the screen, to the agents' surprise, to display a map of the Middle East.

"I was born about seven millennia ago in Mesopotamia. I was a normal human from a peasant family." He smirked. "Well not really normal. My soul held memories of many universal laws and my own power, energy absorption. My power is quite simple, I can absorb all forms of energy into spatial pockets within my soul and I can release that energy to use in any way I can think of." The young man raised his hand which began to shine.

"I started by absorbing light, I could focus it and release it. Then I absorbed the heat of a fire, stopping the combustion, it helped me learn to control the intensity of my absorption. From there I tried to absorb everything I saw and my greatest discovery came when I absorbed the life force of a goat. I felt her life flow in one of my spacial pocket as she visibly withered away. When I released it back into the goat, it became full of life again, and when I used it on myself, my body absorbed it like a thirsty in the desert. She made me stronger, more agile, more alive. Like I said, I was born with knowledge. And fortunately the cycle of life was part of it because otherwise, I might have started to absorb the life of any living being that I met until I destroyed earth."

Noctus turned to Skye. "Your mother is also able to absorb life energy but only from humans, unlike me. Also, she can't use it on others, she's only able to heal and rejuvenate herself. She had always hated this gift, this ability to survive at the cost of the death of others. But that is what has allowed her to be an excellent teacher for the new generations. Well, before her capture by Hydra apparently."

Skye nodded slowly, appreciating the additional information about her mother.

Seeing that Noctus had paused, Coulson gestured to Jemma, who wanted to step in, to wait and spoke up himself.

"The debate on the existence of the soul or the nature of this energy will be for another time Jemma. How did you get this knowledge and this power Noctus ?"

"I don't know exactly, if I had to theorize I would attribute them to the result of a reincarnation. I must have reached such a high level of power in my previous incarnation that a part of it passed through death. My soul contains the equivalent of a wormhole leading to a multitude of pocket dimensions that can hold different types of energy, it's a power of virtually infinite potential, I could absorb the universe given enough time."

Noctus sighed and stared at each agent to pay close attention to his next words.

"I'll be clear, I'm not a threat. And even if I was you wouldn't be able to prepare anything. You have to think of me as a natural disaster capable of wiping out the planet, you can't stop me, you couldn't even slow me down. More powerful beings have tried."

Noctus fixed his gaze on Skye who held his gaze with what Noctus noted was a bit of awe mixed with admiration."Beings with a technological level allowing them to play with the rules of the universe have tried." He stared at Fitz and Simmons who looked away.

"They all failed." Noctus looked Coulson straight in the eye, the Shield director holding his gaze gravely.

"I'm friendly and I have perfect control of my power. All you can do is take my help when I offer it, and ask for it when you need it. I did my homework last night, I know you try to protect the world and as long as that is your goal, I will be your ally."

Noctus let the slight silence hover, allowing the agents to absorb his words. After a few seconds, he smiled and resumed.

"I'm really not a bad guy, you know ? I just need to make sure you understand that discussion and compromises are the only way to deal with me." Noctus turned back to the screen and collected his thoughts.

"So, I was at the part about my powers. Life force is still one of my most used form of energy to this day as I can use it to heal and extend the lives of others. I later discovered another source of energy, purer, and it is thanks to it that I am still alive. Life force doesn't stop degeneration, it only slows it down. ." Noctus paused, lost, in thought.

"You couldn't make your loved ones immortal." Hunter commented, his head down. Noctus nodded gravely and continued.

"It is both harder to lose a loved one after several millennia because it is as if you lost a part of yourself. That's why I don't extend the lifespan of anyone anymore. Sadly, this other form of energy cannot be contained in a human body. That's why I said I was not human, I created my body by mixing different sources of energy and introducing my soul into it." Noctus watched the shocked looks of his audience, grinning.

"It's even crazier than your imagination. My body still functions exactly like a human but with bio-mechanical cells and liquid energy. And the best? I can change my internal biology and my external appearance at will." As Noctus spoke, the team noticed his body begin to emit a yellow glow on the tracing of his blood vessels.

Meanwhile, Noctus continued to talk. "I want to look like an Asgardian?" His body began to grow, and his clothes along with it. His hair took on a light blond hue and his skin turned pale. Only his dark blue eyes showed that it was still Noctus. "Easy." Noctus finished with a smirk as he looked at Skye, who was staring at him, like everyone else in shock.

"Shit ! Instead of asking him what he can do, we should have asked what he can't! Hunter shouted, taking a step back, voicing the thoughts of the other agents aloud. Noctus was just too much. Energy manipulation and absorption, shapeshifter and maybe even more. Just too much.

However, Noctus wasn't done and his body shone once more. "I want to be a woman?" Its height decreased drastically, reaching 1m50, its hair took on a raven black hue, reaching her neck with silver streaks dotting her hair. Her skin remained clear much closer to a Mediterranean color and unlike her first transformation, her eyes changed color, taking on a silvery tint.

The young woman in front of the agents did not exude the same royal aura as her male form, but an even more dignified aura, godly even, despite the fact that she seemed barely out of adolescence. . Her curves were not too pronounced but she was clearly athletic. Her breasts were a handful, clearly visible without impeding movement. The biker jacket had given way to a silver tunic, leather bracers with dark green jeans and Coulson couldn't help but draw the comparison to the few Norse gods he had encountered.

The young woman exuded an even more oppressive aura than Thor or Loki and while Coulson knew that fighting the Asgardians was a death wish, never his instincts told him so clearly to never give this being a reason to become their enemy.

Noctus gazed at its new form and outfit for a few seconds and spoke in a soft voice, caught up in thought. "Artemis, it's been a long time since I've taken my principal female form."

She looked up and spoke louder. "It is the form in which I spent the majority of Ancient Greece. This is my female appearance by default. When I am a woman, you may call me Artemis to distinguish it from my male form."

"Is there any particular reason to make this distinction?" Coulson asked. He had a hunch that the change wasn't just physical as her aura suggested and Artemis quickly confirmed it with a predatory smile.

"It's partly that Noctus is a male name. Also, names mean a lot more than you would think. Lastly and more importantly, while my mind is the same, some of my reactions change slightly depending on my gender." Artemis tilted her head to the side in thought.

"It's because of my control over my internal biology, since I can alter my body at will, I made it produce a lot less hormones as a man so I'm more rational and less distracted. Social interactions have always seemed easier as a woman so I changed my internal biology to match that."

Artemis grinned as she thought about it. "Doing it this way allows me to better appreciate the fights and carnal pleasures. Plus, I've spent so much time as Artemis that I have a special attachment to that name."

'Artemis goddess of the wild and the hunt.' Skye thought with a smile. After all, they were really dealing with a deity despite what Noctus said about just being a traveler.

"But are you not more likely to act on impulses as Artemis then?" Coulson asked worriedly. He had finally concluded that Noctus was a reliable person precisely because of his rationality which would prevent him from making hasty decisions and that he seemed more curious than belligerent. But if he was impulsive as Artemis, even if they were the same person, it would be much more dangerous for them, she could do serious damage on a whim.

"No no ! It's just a biological difference. I am still able to think and I know when to restrain myself!" Artemis went into a slight frenzy trying to reassure them, totally shattering her dignified aura. It seemed like the subject was sensitive to her and Skye couldn't help but smirk slightly at the goddess' behavior.

Coulson sighed as he looked at May who nodded. Noctus, or rather Artemis currently was better at their side to be able to be reasoned with in the event of a problem. Having made up his mind, Coulson looked at Artemis in the eyes.

"You offered to help Skye and Raina understand and master their powers. I am now convinced of your knowledge on the subject so we accept your help with pleasure. Simmons will stay with you so we can better understand the Inhumans with her expertise. We currently have an operation about to be launched to deal a major blow to Hydra and press our advantage. I'll let you know when we start so you can come here to watch it and we will discuss the next steps in more detail right after."

"If the operation is about to be launched I will gladly just stay to watch but don't forget to include me in your next operations otherwise I might become bored." Artemis nodded, having regained her composure and now wearing a dangerous smirk, totally opposed to her expression just seconds before.

"That won't be a problem. Your experience and abilities will certainly come in handy." Coulson confirmed, ignoring the predatory smile of the goddess, who seemed to ignore her own mood swings, to turn to the young Inhuman. "However, Skye, you will need to undergo a psychological evaluation with Dr. Garner before you can return in service. And that will only be after you have mastered your abilities."

"What ? But I…" Skye wanted to argue that she wouldn't lose control but Coulson cut her off.

"It's not debatable, until we are sure that you have mastered your power you won't come out." Coulson was determined to enforce this order to prevent any slippage.

"But…" Skye looked like she wanted to argue but finally shut her mouth when she saw that everyone seemed to agree with Coulson.

"I could take her with me if the mission is not of vital importance, it's not good for an active person to be locked up, it might even decrease her control." Artemis offered a compromise and Coulson looked at Jemma for her doctor's opinion.

Jemma hesitated for a second. "Well, it is true that the main concern is to prevent Skye from being subjected to stressful and uncontrollable situations. And staying locked up doing nothing wouldn't particularly help. So, for reconnaissance or investigation missions, if Noctus, sorry, Artemis is present to reduce the risks, I do not advise against it, it could even be beneficial according to what we know about the training of superpowers."

Coulson weighed the pros and cons of the idea and decided it would have to be discussed on a case-by-case basis. "Well, in that case we will see according to the missions. May, Hunter and Bobby you stay, the others you can go."

Leaving the room, Skye gave a "Thank you" to Artemis and Jemma who smiled softly at her.

"I told the truth, now I'm counting on you not to put yourself in a stressful situation, okay?"

"You know damn well that's not my type." Skye replied half-seriously.

"Your last adventure in an alien city in the pursuit of an enemy while explosives had been planted does not tell me the same story, however." Argued Jemma, leaving Skye speechless.

Jemma sighed then turned to Artemis. "I can only count on you to keep her safe please."

"You don't have to worry, I never let an ally die, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth." Artemis replied with a slight smirk.

"Now girls, if you don't mind, we have to go get Raina and experiment your powers!" Artemis started to walk towards the room they had left Raina in but Skye cut her off.

"Hold on ! Are you going to meet her with this appearance? It would be mean, knowing that she begged you to change her appearance, don't you think?

Artemis turned around and the two agents were left speechless at the mischievous gleam in her silver eyes.

"Exactly, it will be fun to see her reaction!"

A/N : Webnovel doesn't automatically save what you write apparently. Had to rewrite 3/4 of the chapter. I learned my lesson, I have everything on Gdoc now so it won't happen again.

On another note, I can assure you, there is a good reason for Artemis to exist... If I succeed to make it work as I want.