The briefing room hummed with tension as Silver Sable laid out the mission parameters.
"Madripoor," she said, her platinum blonde hair pulled back in a severe ponytail, tactical gear already in place. "Lawless, dangerous, and currently hosting a black market auction for stolen Dominator technology."
I studied the holographic display she'd pulled up—the island nation was a nest of criminal activity, every street corner a potential death trap. Silver had been working with us for three months now, contract work that had grown increasingly integrated into our operations. Professional, deadly, expensive. But worth it.
"Intel reliability?" I asked.
"Solid. I have contacts there—people who owe me favors." Her Eastern European accent was slight but present. "The auction is in two days. After that, the technology disperses to whoever wins. AIM, Hydra, the Hand—they'll all be bidding."
Jessica Drew, in her Spider-Woman gear, leaned forward. "What exactly are we talking about? What kind of tech?"
"Neural interface weapons, psionic amplifiers, enhanced soldier augmentation protocols." Silver's eyes found mine. "Everything Emma Frost was distributing, now consolidated in one location. Your specialty, Cole. Which is why Fury specifically requested you for this."
I'd been building my reputation with SHIELD over the past months—reliable, effective, controllable. This was the biggest operation they'd trusted me with yet.
"Team composition?" Elektra asked, already running combat scenarios in her head.
"Small and mobile," I replied, thinking through the logistics. "Madripoor doesn't welcome large SHIELD presences. We go in as private contractors. Silver handles local contacts and logistics. Elektra and I infiltrate the auction itself. The rest provide support and extraction if things go bad."
"I'm coming," Felicia said immediately. "If there's stealing involved, you need me."
"The auction is invitation-only," Silver interjected. "Getting three people in will be difficult enough."
Maya signed a question, and I translated: "She wants to know who stays behind."
I considered the team dynamics. "Maya and Rogue stay in New York, coordinate with Jessica's SHIELD contacts, provide remote support. Jessica, you're officially on this as SHIELD liaison, but you'll stay at our secondary position. Felicia, Elektra, Silver, and I go into Madripoor proper."
Felicia smirked. "You know Madripoor's elite social scene is very… close-knit. We might need to blend in at pre-auction events. Get friendly with the locals."
She wasn't wrong. Madripoor's criminal elite conducted business through elaborate social rituals—parties, dinners, intimate gatherings where deals were made and alliances formed.
"We'll handle that as needed," I said carefully.
Silver was watching this exchange with calculating eyes. She knew about my relationship with my team—it was impossible to hide given how close we all were—but she'd remained professional and distant. A contractor, not family.
Not yet, anyway.
"When do we leave?" Elektra asked.
"Tomorrow morning. Early." Silver began packing up the tactical displays. "Get your gear ready. Madripoor doesn't forgive mistakes."
As the meeting broke up, Silver caught my arm. "Cole. A moment?"
We waited until the others had left before she spoke again.
"I need to know something before we deploy," she said, her voice low. "Your team—Felicia, Maya, the others. The way you work together, the loyalty they show you. That's not just professional respect. I've seen enough teams to know the difference."
"What's your question?"
"Are you manipulating them? Using your powers to create that loyalty?" She met my eyes steadily. "I need to know if what I'm seeing is real, or if you're building a cult."
The directness was refreshing. "Everything between me and my team is genuine choice. I don't manipulate them romantically or emotionally. The connection we share—that's built on trust, respect, and shared purpose."
"And the intimate aspects I've observed?"
"Part of how we connect, but not the foundation. We're family, Silver. Unconventional, yes. But real." I studied her. "Why are you asking?"
She was quiet for a moment. "Because I'm trying to decide if I want to be part of it. Beyond our professional arrangement."
That caught me off guard. "That's not a decision to make lightly."
"I know. Which is why I'm asking now, before we deploy into a combat zone where emotions run high and judgment gets clouded." She stepped closer. "I've been a mercenary for fifteen years, Cole. I've worked with hundreds of teams, fought in dozens of wars. And I've never seen what you've built—genuine connection that makes people stronger rather than weaker."
"It takes trust. Complete trust."
"I know. And I'm willing to try." Her expression softened slightly. "But I need to know it's real first. That what I'm seeing isn't just skillful manipulation."
"There's one way to be sure," I said carefully. "I could let you into my mind. Show you the truth directly. No filters, no deception."
She considered that, weighing the vulnerability it would require. "Alright. Show me."
-----
We moved to one of the private rooms in the base—neutral territory, comfortable but not intimate. Silver sat across from me, her posture controlled but I could sense the tension underneath.
"This will feel strange," I warned. "I'm going to open a connection between our minds. You'll feel my thoughts, my emotions, my memories. And I'll feel yours."
"Will you see everything?"
"Only what you allow me to see. This isn't control—it's communion. You set the boundaries." I extended my hand. "Ready?"
She took it, and I carefully opened the telepathic connection.
The sensation was always profound—two consciousnesses touching, barriers dissolving. I felt Silver's mind: disciplined, tactical, carrying decades of combat experience and carefully controlled emotion. Beneath the professional exterior was loneliness, a deep hunger for connection she'd suppressed for years.
I showed her my truth. The genuine affection I felt for my team. The absence of manipulation in our intimate relationships. The careful boundaries I maintained, never using my powers to coerce or control those I cared about.
She saw it all—the real Marcus Cole, stripped of pretense.
When I pulled back, she was breathing harder, her eyes wide.
"It's real," she said softly. "Everything you said. I can feel how much you care about them, how carefully you avoid manipulating them even when it would be easier."
"I told you."
"Telling and knowing are different things." She stood, moving to the window. "I've spent fifteen years keeping everyone at arm's length. Being Silver Sable, the mercenary commander, never just Silver. And what you're offering is a chance to be seen completely. To have family instead of just associates."
"It's what we all needed," I said, moving to stand beside her. "Felicia was alone despite her confidence. Maya was isolated by her deafness. Elektra was broken by the Hand. Jessica was betrayed by everyone she trusted. Rogue couldn't touch anyone without hurting them. We found each other because we all needed to be seen, accepted, valued for who we really are."
"And you think I need that too."
"I think you want it. Need is different from want." I turned to face her. "But Silver, if you join us—really join us—there's no halfway. We share everything. Burdens, joys, dangers, intimacy. All of it."
She looked at me for a long moment, something shifting in her expression. The careful control slipped, revealing the woman beneath the mercenary.
"Show me," she said. "Not through telepathy. Show me what it means to be part of your family."
I understood what she was asking. "Are you sure? We deploy tomorrow. This will change things."
"I'm sure. I've been sure since I watched you all interact, saw how you care for each other. I want that, Marcus. Want to be seen and valued, not just used." She moved closer, her hand coming up to touch my face. "Show me."
I kissed her, and it was different from the careful control she usually maintained—hungry, desperate, years of loneliness pouring into the contact. She pulled me closer, her strong body pressing against mine.
"Not here," I murmured against her lips. "Somewhere more comfortable."
We moved to my private quarters—not the shared bedroom, this was just for us. A chance for Silver to experience what it meant to be with me without the pressure of performing for others.
I undressed her slowly, revealing a body marked with scars from countless battles. Each mark told a story of survival, of strength, of refusing to break no matter what she faced.
"You're beautiful," I told her, and meant it.
"I'm damaged."
"We all are. That's not what matters." I traced a scar across her shoulder. "What matters is that you're here, choosing this, choosing us."
She pulled me down onto the bed, and I felt her walls finally crumbling—not from telepathic manipulation, but from genuine desire to connect.
I kissed down her body, taking my time, learning what made her gasp and arch. When my mouth found her pussy, she cried out, her hands fisting in my hair.
"Fuck," she gasped. "That's—oh god—"
I worked her with lips and tongue, feeling her building toward release. She tasted incredible, and the sounds she made were addictive—small moans and gasps that told me I was doing exactly what she needed.
When she came, it was with a cry that sounded like relief and revelation combined—as if something inside her had finally broken free.
I kissed back up her body, and she pulled me into another kiss, tasting herself on my lips.
"Your turn," she said, her hand wrapping around my cock. "I want to make you feel good too."
She pushed me onto my back and took me into her mouth, her technique skilled but also exploratory—learning what I liked, what made me groan. Her hand worked what her mouth couldn't reach, and I felt pleasure building rapidly.
"Silver," I warned, "I'm close—"
She didn't pull back, taking me deeper, and I came with a groan, spilling into her mouth. She swallowed, then released me with a satisfied expression.
"Not bad," she said with a slight smile.
"Just not bad?"
"I'll need more data to make a complete assessment." She moved to straddle me, and I felt her wetness against my cock as it started to harden again. "Ready for round two?"
"With you? Always."
She positioned herself and sank down onto me slowly, both of us groaning at the sensation. She was tight and hot, and the way she moved was hypnotic—controlled at first, then building to something more desperate.
I gripped her hips, helping her set the rhythm, watching her face as pleasure built. This was Silver without her armor, without her professional mask. Just a woman seeking connection, seeking pleasure, seeking to be known.
When she came again, it was quieter than before but no less intense. I felt her pussy clenching around my cock, pulling my own orgasm from me.
We collapsed together afterward, sweaty and satisfied.
"That was…" she started.
"Yeah."
She laughed, the sound genuine and unguarded. "I think I understand now. What you've built with your team. This isn't just sex—it's trust made physical. Vulnerability as strength."
"Exactly." I pulled her closer. "Welcome to the family, Silver."
"I like the sound of that," she said softly.
We lay there in comfortable silence, two people who'd found something they didn't know they needed. Tomorrow we'd face danger in Madripoor. But tonight, we were just Marcus and Silver, building something real.