CHAPTER - LVIII

"Mmm... my head," Kamala complained.

"Easy, get up slowly" Derek helped her up.

Kamala : "Derek... where am I, I just remember you broke the Sentinel in two and..."

"And you passed out, you can rest easy, we're in the Chimera now" Derek replied.

Bruce who had woken up a few minutes ago approached the two of them with the rest of the Avengers included, Dante, Cassie, Jen and Johnny.

Banner : "I'm glad you're okay Kamala"

Kamala : "Doctor Banner, it's okay"

Kamala sat up but almost fell over feeling dizzy, Derek carefully held her down helping her to sit up.

Derek : "Easy, Kamala" still holding her he used healing on her making her feel better.

Steve who saw this smiled approaching them

Steve(cap) : "You two are very brave, especially you Kamala if it wasn't for you, we would never have gotten back together, everything we have achieved so far has been thanks to you two."

"I agree, but we should control those fainting spells, still they have done well" Tony joked still in his armour.

"That's right, you kids are all spectacular warriors" Thor praised with a genuine smile.

Nat leaning against a wall looked at this with a smile nodding in agreement as she noticed Derek looking at her.

Bruce looked at everyone including Derek

Banner : "Huh? Guys could you give us a moment alone"

They all nodded and walked out of the room leaving them alone.

Bruce looked at Kamala, remembering for a moment how they met

Banner : "You know Kamala all this time I thought I was guiding you but at some point I gave up... and it was you who guided me, making me understand that having powers you don't want is not a disease."

"Hehe, Derek had something to do with your sarcastic comments too" Kamala joked.

"That had something to do with it too. What do you plan to do now Kamala?" asked Bruce.

Kamala : "I think it's time to go home."

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In the command room Derek was looking at the sky and the buildings the Chimera was passing by

Natasha : "What are you thinking Derek" said Nat holding his shoulder getting his attention

Derek : "What to do now, Tarleton or Modok as he now calls himself escaped, I watched as he fell into the sea Nat, that idiot is not the type to give up, we have a missing Monica, although in the big head's words she is dead, still I don't think someone like Monica would die easily without having some plan in mind or several"

Natasha : "Derek"

She called making him look at her

Natasha : "I understand what you mean, but you are still very young, you and your friends did more than enough, now it's your turn to trust us we have more than enough proof to take AIM off the map, everyone knows what AIM has done with the inhumans all this time it's impossible for them to escape now"

'Haa, if you only knew this is the beginning, there are many dangers surrounding the earth and the universe' - thought Derek imagining the worst evils he will be facing in both marvel and Dc

Derek : 'I have to prepare myself, I have a system that gives unlimited growth and the knowledge of two Worlds, I will have to exploit them to the maximum'

"For now you should concentrate on what to do, like going to school" Nat said smiling at him seeing Derek's frown.

Derek : "O come on Nat you know everything they teach there I already know."

"Yeah but you need to learn how to socialize with kids your age" she replied, Derek wanted to say something but Kamala appeared and interrupted them.

Kamala : "Guys I need a favour"

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Moments later a Quinjet landed in front of a house unnoticed by anyone thanks to the invisibility system, out of the ship came Kamala and Derek who accompanied her to the door of her house

Kamala : "Well I guess this is where we part ways, right?"

Derek : "No, this is just a see you later Kamala, we might even go to the same school"

Derek held her hand, even though they wouldn't be apart for long, they knew it would be awkward not seeing each other every day like they had been.

Kamala : "You better come see me Derek, or else I'll come see you and it won't be pretty."

"Haha, I promise Miss Marvel" Derek teased as he held her waist pulling her to him, they looked at each other for a few seconds getting closer and closer, kissing affectionately, but they had to pull apart when they heard someone approach the door, the door opened revealing Kamala's father.

Kamala's father looked at her in surprise, Kamala saw him and became nervous not knowing what to say to him, he walked towards her and hugged her as if he was afraid that she would leave again, Derek seeing the interaction of father and daughter felt ignored.

"Hello Abu," said Kamala still in her father's arms.

Her father stopped hugging her and looked at her "You are grounded until you turn 30 Kamala ok?"

"Yes" smiled Kamala.

"From now on you can only go to school" Kamala knew she deserved this punishment, she looked down feeling guilty for worrying about it. Abu seeing that Kamala understood what she had done wrong smiled, he turned his gaze to Derek "And to your special excursions."

Derek nodded as he noticed the look Kamala's father was giving him.

This time Kamala was the one who hugged him tightly "Thank you Abu."

"Honey I'm proud of you I've seen, what you and your friend have done, as your father I can't help but worry but...I'm also proud of all you've accomplished."

Derek liked seeing the interaction between father daughter, but he knew he had to leave, Kamala and his father had a lot to discuss

Derek : "Cough, cough I think I have to go, nice to meet you sir" he reached out for a handshake which Abu reciprocated and nodded, Kamala looked at him

Kamala : "You're leaving now, if you want you could stay here for a while"

"Are you sure?" hearing what Kamala said, Abu frowned, still he sighed and nodded.

Derek : "Kamala I may have been living on the streets these years but I did it because I didn't want AIM to find me living in my parents' house, you don't have to worry, it may take a few days but fr now I'll be living in my parents"

Derek : "So don' you worry I'll be sending you the address for you to visit me".

Kamala nodded still in Abu's arms who was hugging her in fear of her leaving again, this made Derek smile as he left.

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A month has passed since AIM was unmasked to the world, the first thing that happened was that the leaders of the main military agencies were held, for allowing the experiments done on inhumans for the manufacture of the Adaptoids.

The second thing that happened was the total destruction of the Dome that covered the state by orders of the President, Tony and Thor helped without being told anything in its destruction, a week later the Avengers were called to the jury.

Our protagonist Derek was at his parents house sitting at the dining room table with his laptop, on the seat next to him is a plate with scrambled eggs and French bread, fruit salad with a smoothie.

He was so focused making a list of the metals and alloys that are on earth, which ones would be easier for him to get with his current strength or without being discovered, until someone pulled him out of his zone.

"Mm good morning" Nat said as she stretched and sat down starting to eat her breakfast "you're still on that laptop, you should get out not just be cooped up."

"Says the woman who only spends sleeping or watching TV" Derek replied, causing her to stop eating and look at him.

Natasha : "Tuche, but what are you typing so much on your laptop".

Derek : "Oh nothing big, a list of strong metals and unique properties I could get, thinking about armor to resist my powers, upgrades for your weapons and suit" he replied.

He typed on the laptop making a hologram appear showing some of the metals or alloys he could get, then he showed the weapons.

Derek : "I've been thinking about making your two weapons that can fulfill the functions of a shotgun and that of a Mk-47 when combined, also they have a better rate of fire".

Natasha : "Awesome, that would help me a lot."

Derek : "I know, I'm also trying to create a webbing formula like Spiderman uses but with better durability and energy conductivity."

"Heh, who knew the brat who tried to steal from me and helped bring the avengers back together is now offering upgrades to my team" joked Nat "Mm now that I remember where Agu is"

Derek looked at her and rolled his eyes, as he remembered, the time he was in the Chimera until he returned to the home his parents left him.

That same night Nat showed up at his home without knocking and found an Agumon who had come out of his mobile phone looking for milk checking the fridge.

Nat found the little Agumon rummaging through the fridge, you can imagine the surprise they both had "Haha, he's still sleeping, yesterday Lucy was teaching him more about human culture and the difference between right and wrong"

Nat nodded with a smile remembering the scary little scaly dinosaur

Natasha : "Derek there's going to be a little celebration at the new Stark Tower today."

Derek looked at her suspiciously knowing where this was going "Yeah?"

Natasha : "And you have to come."

Derek : "Come on Nat, you know I don't like those kind of gatherings."

"I know but if I have to go you're coming with me" she said and stood up "I went to the trouble of getting you an outfit for tonight" without letting Derek say anything she left.

Derek sighed thinking about how annoying it will be tonight

Derek : "Haaa, I've taken this whole month to rest, but I've barely done that, my time has been spent on daily quests, searching for the location of metals or remembering who has them in their possession, I've also trained with different weapons getting the Masteries with Swords and Hammers, I've even tried to find ways to create an armor or suit that works perfectly with my powers, the only good thing is that Nat's weapons will be ready soon" speaking to himself he got up and went to the basement, finding Lucy and a few adaptoids digging and fortifying the place, wanting to create their own lab and training place.

"How's it going Honey" asked Derek taking Lucy by her metallic waist, Lucy accepted without any sign of discomfort at Derek's approach.

Lucy: "So far so good, it will take me a few days to finish expanding the place, so you can take care of the rest, as for the materials and plans you were designing for your tastes for your bathroom it will take a week."

Derek : "Or that's quicker than I thought"

Lucy: "Hmp you're talking to the coolest artificial intelligence on Earth."

"Yeah I know, after all I believe you" he scoffed, letting go and walking away from Lucy, he walked around while using his Metal Dragon Slayer and Metal Manipulation powers, making walls of absorbent metal, along with some runes reinforcing the defense and durability of the room, before he knew it time passed and it was already night, Lucy had to stop him reminding him of what would be in the night.

After taking a bath, putting on the suit Nat bought for him he walked down to the living room being greeted by Nat who looked at him with a smirk

Natasha : "You look good, looks like I chose well, black is your colour, it matches perfectly with your red eyes and hair, making you look elegant and refined."

Derek barely heard what she was saying, totally lost in the dress she was wearing, a lacy red dress, highlighting her hourglass figure, on the chest part open but not so much, managing to give a seductive and subdued air.

"Beautiful" said Derek unconsciously, causing Nat to shut up and smile as she approached him, only to stop again, as she saw Derek clench his teeth and fists, at the same time he pulled out a white drink and drank it, taking him a few seconds

'This time it took him longer than usual, it's only a matter of time, for those drinks to stop working'- thought Natasha as she saw him breathing with a little difficulty.

Once he came to his senses he looked at Nat, knowing she was worried about him, wanting to change the subject he spoke "I think we should go Nat".

Understanding what Derek was trying to do she just sighed and nodded "Let's go".

Up to here.