Alex and Yelena spent the rest of the day and most of the night entangled in a passionate embrace as another one of Alex’s bodies took over Yelena’s duties and handled the things for the day. When they finally woke up the next morning, it was time to make some plans for their assault against the bastion.

“So, how do you want this to work?” Yelena asked. “You’ve already sent four of the widows back home with the trainees that were assigned to them. Do you want to wait for them to come back or do it behind their backs?”

“Those four are the most resistant ones to both me and my future plans for the widows,” Alex said. “This operation will get every participant enough credits to buy both the age serum and go back. I don’t plan to give them that option. They can either choose to halt their aging and come closer to my true vision for the widows, or they can enjoy their lives with my blessing.”

“So…we’re not waiting… right? You weren’t very clear,” she said, hiding her snark behind an innocent tone.

“Yes, we aren’t waiting for them to come back. I will bring Laura here in another day or two. By them, I want the Widows to have implicit control over most of the Bastion. She won’t be stopping to care about the casualties that her actions cause. That’s going to be up to the widows to take care of.”

“Since when have you been concerned about casualties?” Yelena asked. “Don’t misunderstand me. I’m glad you care about them, but you aren’t the kind of person who would mobilize so many resources just to prevent casualties.”

“I care because the Bastion is the only significant source of humanity left in North America,” he said. “I have scoured this continent over the past year, and we have taken in almost all of the settlements of humans. Even then, we barely have thirty thousand able adults. The Bastion holds a solid population of a million people at the very least. We have to integrate them into our fold if we want to reestablish the human race on this continent.”

“Again… I get all that,” Yelena said understandingly. “And I appreciate you caring about all this, don’t get me wrong. But I can’t help but ask. Why do you want that? We have stopped increasing our numbers until our current trainees mature, so it’s definitely not to increase our numbers. Why else would you want to reestablish the human race on this continent?”

“Fine…you want the dark truth of my scheme?” Alex said flatly. “This planet is going to be a breeding ground for Abominations. Eventually, I will kill the continent-level ‹Eldritch Leader Class› abominations and establish four Prime Bastions of humanity. One for North America, one for South America, one for Africa, and one for Asia and Europe combined. Every one of my Prime Bastions will have all the resources necessary to constantly drive away the abominations, but with significant losses, hence bolstering the numbers of their enemies. Once I am satisfied with the number of abominations, this planet will become a part of the Gaia cluster and work as an existential threat to every other planet in Gaia. Then, I will come in and establish my Apex Empire while also getting rid of the abomination threat once and for all.”

“Hm,” she looked impressed. “As I’d expected. You wouldn’t try so hard to revitalize humanity without something to gain for yourself.”

“Moving back to the matter at hand,” Alex said. “The Widows. We will be mobilizing all of them for this operation. The Bastion has protections against magic, which means that I can’t simply portal you all inside. Even if I try to brute force it with Chaos Magic, they will detect it. The only way for me to get you all in is by sneaking a part of myself in and then teleporting you through my dimensional ‹Inventory›. But, there is an issue with that. There are special detectors everywhere that prevent me from getting into important places without triggering some sort of alarm. That means all I can do is get you all inside the walls.”

“Do you have a blueprint of the place?” She asked. “A map?”

“I do. I once infiltrated quite deeply into their systems, which gave me access to a significant amount of their information,” he said. “I will share with everyone both the blueprints and the map of the place, with everyone’s targets. What you all need to do is to subdue all of the systems that are not automated and under the control of an AI. Anything that has to do with humans should be under your control by the time Laura breaks into the Bastion.”

“You told me that this Bastion is built and managed by Tony Stark, right?” She asked. “That means there will be practically nothing that is managed by humans, Alex.”

“I know that,” he said. “But the humans are managed by humans. What you will be doing is to subdue the population of the Bastion so that when Laura breaks through the walls, people don’t get affected by the irradiated air that enters their protective bubble and die immediately. While Laura keeps the Bastion and its subsequent systems busy, the Widows will work to get the citizens out into a secure passage that I will create.”

“So we are ultimately a glorified evacuation crew?” She asked dryly. “I thought the widows were here to make a difference.”

“You do. When it comes to special operations related to the common people. The ones who fight existential threats and dangers are my primary hosts. The widows were never going to be the strongest card in my forces. You are the ones who will help me make things work after the brutes who are my primary hosts are done with their work.”

“Way to make me feel valued,” Yelena mumbled. “Is my sister the same? Can she also destroy planets?”

“Nat, huh…” Alex had a thoughtful expression on his face. “Honestly? Not really. Not by herself at the very least. Without considering the significantly greater enhancement that my bond gives her, she’s pretty much the same as you in terms of power. But that’s not why she’s one of my primary hosts.”

“Then why is she?” Yelena asked.

“I’m not sure how I would explain it,” Alex said. “She has a certain…way in which she makes me feel fulfilled. I’ve spent many years with her and Xialing now. And in all that time, we’ve lived a relatively normal…suburban life. Playing parents for a traumatized girl who lost her mom and was neglected by her actual father. Ever since I woke up… Even before I bonded with my first host, I never imagined that I would have it in me to live such a life. Normalcy…always seemed like such a bore to me. Unfulfilling… But with her…it’s easy, enjoyable even.”

“You’re making me feel jealous, Alex,” Yelena giggled, not looking jealous at all. “What would you do if I asked you for such a life as well?”

“I’d call bullshit,” he said. “You don’t have the stomach to settle down like that. That’s why you are managing the widows while Natasha is living a simple, boring suburban Mom’s life.”

“But it’s an escape, isn’t it?” She said. “A safe space.”

“I guess it is,” Alex nodded. “It’s a part of me that doesn’t have to worry about the next world-ending threat. Living with her…I’m not worried about what will happen when cosmic threats come knocking on my door… Knull…the celestials…even beings like Doom or Kang… I always have these things on my mind. But with her, I get to just live without worrying about my…our survival.”

“I think I’d like to hear all of the stories about how you and Natasha are living the suburban life,” Yelena said. “And tell her that I’m happy for her.”

“When it’s time to move on from that life, you will be the first one Natasha comes to meet. She misses you a lot.”

“You could always bring her here for a little while.”

“Then it would break the bubble, wouldn’t it?” He said. “It took a lot of courage for her to simply leave everything behind and move to another planet with me. Neither of us wants that illusion of normalcy to break.”

“Hey…” Yelena asked him. “What would you do if I asked for the same thing? If I seriously asked you to fix my womb and do all those things that you’re doing with Natasha with me. Would you agree?”

“Are you asking me that?” Alex asked.

“Don’t you already know?” She said. “You can read my mind after all.”

“I want to hear it from you.”

“…No,” Yelena refused. “But I still want to know what you would do if I asked.”

“If you asked me this six months ago, I would’ve probably refused and punished you with such mind-melting sex that you forgot about everything entirely,” Alex said.

“What about now? I’ll tell you, I don’t think I have it in me to endure another mind-melting session with my sanity intact after last night. Seriously…you fucked my ass in front of a mirror and forced me to wet myself. I still see that image in my mind when I close my eyes. So embarrassing.”

“But it was hot, wasn’t it?”

“We’re diverting from the topic. What would you say to it now?” She asked him with narrowed eyes.

“I’d agree,” Alex said. “I may be a ruthless murderer and dictator, but I’m not heartless. I’ve come to care for you after a whole year with you. You’re pretty amazing, Yelena.”

“Thank you,” she smiled. “I know I just said I don’t have it in me to have mind-melting sex. But I’m really wet right now.”

“Come here,” Alex grabbed her arm and pulled her close. She yelped and gladly followed his lead as he pressed her up against a wall.