Jay woke up to sunlight hitting his face, which was weird because he never slept past dawn. Usually, his brain wouldn't let him rest that long—too many things to worry about, too many plans to make.
He sat up in bed, still wearing yesterday's wrinkled clothes, and stared at the ceiling. A month ago, he'd been some guy with one stolen power and no real plan. Now? He wasn't sure what he was becoming, but it felt big. And that excited him more than it should.
After a quick shower, he grabbed coffee and sat at his kitchen table with a notebook. Time to make a list. Lists made everything feel manageable.
Today's To-Do:
Find Super Soldier enhancement.
Expand the network to whole of New York.
Give Bobby a power upgrade.
Contact Reed Richards about a suit.
Get into Xavier's School (find Rogue).
Track future heroes.
Test current abilities
He stared at what he'd written. When had his life become a comic book mastermind's planning session? And why did that feel so natural?
One Month Later
Standing on his new apartment's fire escape, Jay looked out over New York and tried to process how much had changed.
His network now covered all five boroughs. What started as a few homeless contacts had grown into something that looked like a proper organization. People called him "The Doctor" on the streets—probably because of all the healing he'd been doing. The irony made him smile.
The money situation had gotten ridiculous too. Nearly a million in cash and assets, all from discreet healing jobs for people who could afford to pay premium prices. Rich folks with embarrassing wounds, politicians with inconvenient injuries, celebrities who needed to look perfect for cameras.
Bobby had stepped up as his main contact for the network. It was working. Better than Jay had hoped.
'I'm building something,' Jay thought, watching the city lights flicker below. 'Let's see how far we can take it.'
The Isaiah Bradley research had taken weeks, but Jay's comic book knowledge finally paid off.
Isaiah Bradley—one of 300 Black soldiers used as test subjects for Super Soldier experiments in the 1940s. The government buried his story so deep that most people didn't know he existed. But Jay knew. He knew Isaiah had gotten an imperfect version of the serum, knew he'd served as Captain America when Steve Rogers was missing, knew the man was still alive somewhere in Baltimore.
SHIELD probably had eyes on him, but Isaiah was old news to them. Forgotten. Which made him approachable.
Jay just needed a blood sample. The serum in Isaiah's system was degraded after decades, but it would be a starting point. A foundation to build something better on.
Bobby was already waiting on the rooftop when Jay arrived after sunset. The old man had gotten better about showing up on time since Jay started paying him real money.
"You look like hell," Bobby said, not bothering to get up from the ledge.
"Thanks for the pep talk." Jay settled beside him. The view from here was incredible—Manhattan spread out like a circuit board. "How's the network?"
"Growing faster than we can track. Queens is solid, Brooklyn's expanding, and we've got people in Staten Island now. The Bronx is harder—too much existing territory disputes."
Jay nodded, but he wasn't really listening. He'd called this meeting for a specific reason.
"Bobby," he said, "how would you feel about being more than just my eyes and ears?"
The veteran looked up from his tablet. "What do you mean?"
"I mean becoming part of the backbone." Jay held out his hand. "I've got something that could help you do your job better."
Bobby's eyes fixed on Jay's outstretched palm. "What kind of something?"
"Lie detection. By scent." Jay had found the mutant near Canal Street—nervous kid who could smell deception like smoke. The power was useful but not flashy, and the kid had been desperate enough to sell it. "One touch, and you'll know when people are lying. Could save your life out there."
Bobby was quiet for a moment, considering. "Will it hurt?"
"Nah, you'll just feel a tingle." Jay met his eyes. "But Bobby, once I do this, you're not just someone who helps me occasionally. You're part of something bigger."
Bobby looked out over the city. "The network's already saved dozens of people. Kids who were sick, families that couldn't afford the hospital, people who needed help and couldn't get it anywhere else." He turned back to Jay. "If this helps us save more, then yeah. I'm in."
"Last chance to back out."
"I'm sure, kid."
The transfer took thirty seconds. Bobby tensed as the power flowed into him, his nostrils flaring as new information hit his senses. When it was over, he blinked hard, looking dazed.
"Whoa," he said softly. "That's... different."
"You'll get used to it." Jay leaned back. "Test it. Tell me something."
Bobby grinned. "This is pretty damn cool."
Jay snorted. "That's definitely true. You can smell it, right?"
"Yeah. Truth smells clean, like rain after a storm. Lies smell..." Bobby wrinkled his nose. "Sour. Like milk gone bad."
"Perfect." Jay stood up. "You're not just eyes and ears anymore, Bobby. You're part of the spine now."
Bobby nodded, still testing his new ability. "I won't let you down, Doc."
The message to Reed Richards took days to get right. Jay needed to sound legitimate without revealing too much, smart enough to get attention without seeming like a threat.
He crafted an encrypted email about unstable molecule research, dropping just enough technical knowledge to sound credible. Mentions of energy-responsive materials, a made-up lab assistant who supposedly disappeared after the Fantastic Four's transformation.
The response came back in six hours
Meeting scheduled in five days. Baxter Building. Come prepared to discuss your research. —R.R.
Jay stared at the reply. He was about to meet one of the smartest men on the planet. This should be interesting
Getting into Xavier's School required a different approach.
Jay sent a formal inquiry claiming to be an unregistered mutant seeking evaluation. Weird ability that manifested a month ago. Concerned about control and implications.
The real reason was Rogue. If she touched him, what would happen? Could she copy his power theft? The possibilities were either incredibly useful or incredibly dangerous.
Plus, he wanted to see if he registered as a mutant or a mutate. Both had significant applications for his future plans.
The response came in two days
Appointment Tuesday, 2 PM. Professor Xavier will meet with you personally. —Jean Grey
The future heroes list was ambitious but necessary. Jay's comic knowledge let him identify people who would eventually gain powers or get into trouble.
He saw Daisy Johnson, a brilliant hacker already rattling cages at SHIELD, completely unaware of the earthquake sleeping in her veins. He saw two lost teenagers in Midtown who would soon become Cloak and Dagger, their powers forged in trauma and drugs. In Jersey City, there was Kamala Khan, a girl whose everyday anxieties were the quiet prelude to something wonderful and strange. He even kept tabs on Amadeus Cho, a kid so smart he was already a blip on SHIELD's radar, and Shang-Chi, who was trying to outrun the long shadow of his father and the Ten Rings.
The plan was simple. He would help them now, before the world came crashing down on them. An anonymous tip, a bit of financial aid, a quiet intervention. No strings attached. Then, when their lives eventually shattered and reformed into something new, they would remember the person who was there for them.
It was strategic relationship building at its finest.
The Queens safehouse cost him a decent chunk of his savings, but he needed somewhere private to experiment.
Danger Sense was a success. Jay could now focus his awareness into a single direction instead of a sphere. Range increased from thirty feet all around to a hundred feet in one direction. The trade-off was tunnel vision elsewhere, but for specific situations it was perfect.
Power Theft had two new functions discovered.
First was suppression; while touching someone, Jay could temporarily shut off their abilities. Required constant contact and focus, but it worked.
Second was Power Fusion, and it was a complete failure. Trying to combine Danger Sense with Healing Touch had given him a splitting headache for hours. Probably needed compatible power types.
The interesting discovery was that his abilities were evolving on their own. The more he used them for specific purposes, the better they got at those purposes. His powers were learning what he wanted and adapting.
That evening, Jay stood on his warehouse roof looking out over the city. The skyline was beautiful at night—eight million people trying to make their way in the world.
He opened his notebook and wrote: "Don't build an empire. Build a mechanism that doesn't need you to run."
Productive day indeed.
[A/N]: I write across multiple fandoms. Support my writing and get early access to chapters, exclusive content, and bonus material at P@treon - Max_Striker