"Sign your name and add a drop of blood," Gemini instructed, demonstrating the ritual with practiced ease. Her signature flowed across the parchment in elegant script before she pricked her finger with a silver needle. The crimson drop fell onto her name, which immediately blazed with golden light before the blood vanished entirely, absorbed into the very fibers of the contract.
Steve accepted the parchment with hands that barely trembled. The weight of the moment settled around him like armor—familiar, protective, and utterly binding. He signed his name with the same careful precision he'd once used for military documents, then followed Gemini's example with the blood seal.
The instant his blood touched the parchment, the entire contract erupted into flames that burned without heat. Steve watched the magical fire consume their agreement, feeling something fundamental shift within his chest—threads of connection, invisible but undeniable, weaving themselves into his very soul.
"A Knight's Oath," Gemini explained, her satisfaction evident in every word. "One of the oldest forms of magical binding. It will anchor you during the dream sequences, give you something to hold onto when the visions become too real to distinguish from reality."
Steve flexed his fingers, still feeling the phantom warmth where the contract had burned. "I can feel it," he said quietly. "Like... like having a compass pointing home."
Gemini's smile could have powered the shop's lights for a week. In the ancient days, every respectable witch or wizard had maintained a Guardian Knight—a warrior bound by magic and honor to protect those whose bodies were too frail to match their formidable minds. The practice had died out centuries ago, lost to changing times and modern sensibilities.
But here she was, Gemini Black, proud owner of a Knight whose soul burned with legendary golden fire. Captain America himself, bound to her service by his own desperate need for purpose.
Steve caught her expression and couldn't help but laugh, though it came out slightly rueful. "I get the feeling I've been thoroughly outmaneuvered, Miss Black."
"Only by your own nobility, Captain," Gemini replied, not bothering to hide her triumph. "I simply provided the opportunity. You chose to take it."
He thought of Fury, probably expecting a progress report about now, and felt a twinge of guilt. But the Director should have warned him about Gemini Black's reputation for getting exactly what she wanted. This was what happened when spymasters tried to play games with forces beyond their understanding.
"Where are you currently staying?" Gemini asked, rising from her chair with fluid grace. "The treatment requires consistency—you'll need to remain here for the duration. Any interruption could force us to start over entirely."
Steve stood as well, his military bearing automatic despite the casual setting. "I have an apartment a few blocks away. It was... it belonged to me before."
Before the ice. Before the world moved on without him. The words hung unspoken but perfectly understood.
Gemini led him from the reception room into the corridor, stopping before a door that bore no nameplate or identifying marks. She placed her palm against the wood and spoke clearly: "Steve Rogers."
Golden letters materialized across the door's surface, burning themselves into the grain with elegant permanence.
"Your room," Gemini announced. "I've taken the liberty of decorating it in a style you might find... familiar. Please, see if it meets with your approval."
Steve pushed open the door and froze.
The room beyond could have been lifted wholesale from 1943. Rich mahogany furniture gleamed under warm lamplight, while burgundy wallpaper created an atmosphere of comfortable masculinity. Military memorabilia lined the shelves—not his own, but pieces that spoke to the same era, the same values. A vintage radio sat on the nightstand, and genuine hardwood floors creaked pleasantly under his feet.
"This is..." Steve ran his fingers along the wallpaper, feeling the texture of a world he'd thought lost forever. "How did you know?"
"Research," Gemini said simply. "Plus a little educated guessing about what might make a displaced soldier feel at home."
Steve turned back to her, and for the first time since waking from the ice, his smile reached his eyes. "Thank you. I can move in today, if that's acceptable?"
"More than acceptable—it's preferred. You can come and go as you please during the day, but I'll need you back here each evening for the treatments. Ben and his family live downstairs if you need anything explained about how things work here."
"About that security position," Steve said, straightening unconsciously into attention. "I don't have other commitments. I can start immediately."
Gemini gestured toward a second door beside his bedroom. "First things first—you mentioned needing to reacquaint yourself with your enhanced capabilities. Take hold of that handle and visualize exactly what kind of training space you need. Be specific about equipment, dimensions, materials. The room will configure itself accordingly."
Steve stared at the door with the wonder of someone still adjusting to a world where magic was real and readily available. He grasped the handle, closed his eyes, and let his mind construct the perfect training environment—punching bags that could withstand super-soldier strength, weights calibrated for enhanced physiology, climbing walls that would actually challenge him.
When he opened his eyes and turned the handle, the door revealed exactly what he'd imagined. Heavy bags hung from reinforced ceiling mounts, their surfaces scarred from use but still functional. Free weights ranged from standard to superhuman requirements, while one wall featured a climbing surface that seemed to extend upward beyond what the building's dimensions should have allowed.
"Incredible," Steve breathed, stepping into the space and testing one of the punching bags. It absorbed his experimental jab without so much as swaying—clearly designed for someone with his capabilities.
"Everything here responds to your needs and desires," Gemini explained from the doorway. "The room, the equipment, even the view from your windows. The house cost me a considerable fortune, but it's worth every penny for the convenience."
Steve tested a few more pieces of equipment, marveling at how perfectly everything suited his requirements. "I don't know how to thank you for this."
"Your service will be thanks enough," Gemini replied. "For now, settle in. Get comfortable. We'll begin the dream treatments tomorrow evening."
She withdrew, closing the door with a soft click that somehow felt like a benediction.
Gemini practically floated back to her study, triumph singing in her veins. A Guardian Knight—her very own Guardian Knight! And not just any warrior, but Captain America himself, bound by honor and magic to her protection.
Let Fury try to manipulate her now.
One Thousand Kilometers Away
Director Fury gripped his phone with enough force to crack the reinforced casing, though his voice remained perfectly level as he spoke.
"Of course, Captain. Your choice entirely. No, no—I'm happy for you, truly. Finding purpose is what matters most." Each word tasted like ash, but his tone never wavered. "We'll talk soon. I'd like to introduce you to someone—a real admirer of your work. Yes, absolutely. Take care."
The moment the call ended, Fury raised the phone as if to hurl it against the wall, then slowly lowered it again. Breaking things wouldn't solve his problems, and replacement secure phones took weeks to properly encrypt.
But still. Captain America—his Captain America—was now working security for a teenage witch who charged premium rates for basic services.
Fury opened the file on his desk, staring at the header: "AVENGERS INITIATIVE." Every name on the list had some connection to Gemini Black. Tony Stark bought her products regularly. Dr. Banner had vanished into her building and emerged somehow stable. Thor would undoubtedly encounter her eventually—gods had a way of gravitating toward powerful magic users.
And now Steve Rogers was literally bound to her service.
"Hill!" he called.
His deputy appeared instantly. "Sir?"
"Contact Dr. Selvig. Tell him Tesseract research is now priority alpha. We need our own strategic assets, and we need them yesterday."
"Understood, sir."
Hill departed with military efficiency, leaving Fury alone with his frustration and a growing certainty that Gemini Black was either the solution to all his problems or the cause of entirely new ones.
Possibly both.
February 2nd - The All-Purpose Shop
Life at the All-Purpose Shop had settled into comfortable rhythms. May and Ben Parker rarely ventured beyond the building's magical protections, finding everything they needed within its walls. Peter's school bus stopped conveniently at the neighboring storefront, while Libis the house-elf maintained invisible watch over his daily routines.
Captain Rogers had established his own schedule—intensive training during daylight hours, followed by Gemini's carefully calibrated dream potions each evening. His mornings began in the basement's Spell Training Room, where Gemini helped purge residual dream influences from his psyche.
Dr. Banner had found unexpected paradise in Professor Snape's portrait. Though the painted Potions Master couldn't learn new techniques, his centuries of accumulated knowledge provided exactly the guidance Banner needed for his current research.
The building hummed with contentment—a magical household functioning in perfect harmony.
Until Gemini called them all together.
"Starting tomorrow," she announced once everyone had assembled in the reception room, "we're closing for a week. Ben, please post the notice on the front door."
Steve straightened in his chair. "Is there a problem? Security concerns?"
Gemini's grin was pure mischief. "Quite the opposite, Captain. We're going on vacation."
The room fell silent as everyone processed this unexpected development.
"Vacation?" May asked carefully. "All of us?"
"All of us," Gemini confirmed. "I've been studying too hard, you've all been working too diligently, and frankly, we could all use some adventure. I'm thinking somewhere warm, with excellent food and absolutely no responsibilities whatsoever."
Peter perked up immediately. "Like Disney World?"
"Better," Gemini promised. "Much, much better."
Steve found himself smiling despite his confusion. When was the last time anyone had invited him on vacation? When was the last time he'd even considered taking one?
"Where exactly are we going?" Ben asked.
Gemini's eyes sparkled with anticipation. "Somewhere magical."
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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