Disclaimer: All characters depicted in this story are eighteen years of age or older. Any sexual content involves only consenting adults. This is a work of fiction.
Author's note: I'm back at uni. The suffering has returned. My schedule is weird as hell and will probably take a bit of time getting used to it, so I will take this week to plan how things will work this semester. (When I say take this week, I'm not saying I won't post, nothing will change) just need to find the good days to publish and the time to write. This is a chap I hadn't posted because I've been busy with everything going on the last two days or so, but I doubt Tuesday will be a chapter day because it's the busiest.
Eh. I don't know, and that's what I wanted to say lol. I will think it through the week and write when I can, then decided a bit more formally next week. Hope you all enjoy the chapter!
A Marvelous Devil.
Chapter 56: The Devil's Interns.
Dante Andromalius.
Tandy decided to follow Jean and Rogue to their dormitories to pick up some of their things.
Rogue, amusingly, said she would leave almost everything here since she was a millionaire now. Funnily enough, she had forgotten about that before signing the contract and only remembered because I wired her the money before she could leave with my light.
Kitty also seemed to have forgotten about it, then started pestering the goth to take her on a shopping spree. And Rogue was gracious enough to invite Jean, even if they weren't exactly close.
I could see the start of their friendship there and then. They just needed a reason to bond, and really, they both needed a friendship where they were going.
I was starting to think that this would work very well. I still planned on paying them the same fee as the rest of my workers in the Ninth Circle, even though they didn't ask for it.
They weren't that… business-savvy.
Seeing the trio leave, I was escorted by Ororo to the front door.
"Thank you," she said quietly, "for everything you did for our kids. I know you had your reasons, but still, thank you."
"It was no trouble," I shook my head. "Don't expect a repeat, though. I would start losing my brand if I remained so cheap. But…"
I pulled a pamphlet with my magic circle on it and pushed it into her hands. "You and some of the kids are interesting, I guess. If you want more deals, find someone with a dangerous mutation who would rather lose it or something, just think of me while holding this."
"Similar rate? Or should I expect to pay an absurd amount for doing the right thing?" She lifted an eyebrow and sighed but nodded after looking at the magical circle a bit curiously. "Will this also work if Kurt's father appears or something?"
She had some kind of magical ancestry in her blood; it wouldn't surprise me if she felt something strange about the piece of paper.
"My dear, I insist you call me if that happens. I'll do it for free," I grinned. "But yes, this should work in any situation, and I'd rather you keep it than your headmaster. I don't particularly like him, and I know he wouldn't call for my help even if you lot were being killed in front of him. You are less rigid than he is."
"That is true," Ororo said with a sigh. "He can be really pigheaded at times."
"I can see who Scott is imitating with that stick up his ass," I snorted.
"Has anyone told you that you're really irritating for someone supposedly this all-knowing?" Her eyebrow twitched mightily. "I can assure you, I have students here who act more mature than you."
"It's because I never had someone to correct me," I blinked at her innocently, not being able to help myself as I burst out laughing at her reaction.
It happened before she could clamp down on her emotions with her superb control, but I had already seen that she was quite… controlling in the very few relationships she had throughout her life. And the superhero business, plus taking care of things in the institute, meant she didn't have much free time to focus on herself.
"You're an ass." Ororo's cheeks reddened just a tad, but with her complexion, it looked genuinely attractive. Almost absurdly so.
Almost all mutants were, now that I thought about it. As long as they didn't have a weird mutation like the bird brat.
"I do have a magnificent ass, I think." I made a show of looking behind me, then a little bit louder, I asked, "Don't you think, my dear light? Nyra was quite insistent I should take my pert ass to her."
"It's really cute," Tandy grinned, stepping into the hallway with the girls behind her. "And you should see it without clothes."
"Okay, that's enough of you, Miss Bowen," Ororo huffed, then chuckled. "It was a pleasure meeting you both, despite everything. And thank you for calming Dante down back then. If you ever need any help, or anything for that matter, feel free to visit."
I made an offended face. "Why does she get an invitation and I don't?! I'm the one who helped the most, woman."
"I doubt you care about invitations, Dante," Ororo rolled her eyes with a small grin. "And you two…"
She looked at the girls following Tandy.
Rogue looked… almost defensive. Jean was looking at the floor.
"We failed you. Both of you," Ororo sighed. "I know words mean little right now, especially when someone came and fixed many of our problems with a snap of his fingers, but I'm sorry. We should have done more for both of you."
Jean looked up, appearing surprisingly vulnerable. She shook her head, her posture relaxing just a bit.
"I don't blame you, Ororo. Obviously," Jean said softly. "None of us expected a literal demon to be the answer to our problems."
Ororo conceded the point with a small nod.
"Perhaps. Still, this place will always be your home. I hope that, someday, you can look past Charles's mistakes… and ours. We truly care for you both."
At the mere mention of the telepath, Jean's power spiked. The pressure in the hallway dropped enough to be uncomfortable for Rogue, who was the weakest here.
Jean's eyes flashed white, her hands trembling as her frazzled mentality almost shattered just from hearing the name.
"Don't," Jean gritted out, her voice cracking. "I can't forgive him. Not yet. Maybe not ever. You have no idea what it feels like to be this betrayed by someone you thought you could trust."
That was a lie. But she was so fragile that she didn't think it would change.
Before the telepathic force could build into another disaster, Ororo stepped forward. She didn't hesitate, wrapping her arms firmly around the taller girl.
It was almost… motherly. It reminded me of Celestine's attempts back home. Warm, welcoming, but the most important part was her lack of fear toward her student. That's what impacted Jean the hardest.
Jean gasped, the anger bleeding out of her as she buried her face in Ororo's shoulder. She took a shaky breath, pulling herself back together and calming down entirely on her own.
I smiled at the scene. Ororo Munroe truly was the glue that would hold Xavier's dream together after everything came into the open.
Because I knew one thing for sure. Xavier's institute would never be the same after all this.
I turned my attention to the goth mutant standing awkwardly to the side. I snapped my fingers.
A tiny spark of cosmic power flared from the contract binding her to me, settling deep into her soul. I didn't warp her power, even though I was curious whether I could improve it in some other way; I simply built a conceptual wall around it and gave her the key.
"The switch is yours, Rogue," I said casually. "You can live a normal life now."
Rogue froze completely. Her eyes widened as she stared at her gloved hands, not entirely believing I was capable of it, even with all the proof of my abilities.
She was quite an untrusting woman.
Storm noticed, and she didn't wait for the girl to peel off her gloves or test the theory.
Ororo simply reached out, gently grabbed Rogue's chin, and pulled her directly into her bosom alongside Jean.
Rogue gasped sharply, her body going completely stiff at the unexpected physical contact.
But when nothing happened, a choked sob tore from her throat. She melted into the hug, clutching Ororo's jacket like this moment meant everything to her.
I supposed it was quite different than touching Tandy, as she was indeed draining my light's life force at the time. Tandy simply regenerated faster than Rogue could pull.
"I will visit," Ororo whispered fiercely, holding them both. "And I expect you to call and message me. Promise me you will keep in touch."
"We promise," Rogue said softly, her face buried against her teacher.
I let them have their moment. When the tears were finally over, and the girls stepped back, I prepared the Dark Force.
Tandy smiled warmly at them, offering a wave to the weather manipulator and waggling her eyebrows.
"Ready?" I asked.
They nodded.
I raised my hand, and the Dark Force swallowed us whole, leaving the crying professor behind. She watched us go with an amused smile as she shooed my horny imp away.
Anna Marie, Rogue.
I was floating.
Not literally, though, considering the sheer amount of insanity I had witnessed today, I wouldn't have been surprised if gravity suddenly decided to take a break.
I met a demon, for Christ's sake. And he was more normal than Erik!
But no, as absurd as that was, I was floating because of my hands. My bare, ungloved hands.
It was wrapped around Tandy's smaller palm. I could feel the ridges of her knuckles. I could feel the literal warmth radiating from another living person.
Without anyone dying. I wasn't sucking everything that made her, her. Unlike before, it even felt more real.
I was also a bit jealous of how soft it was.
I squeezed her hand again just to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
Tandy just beamed at me, swinging our joined hands as we stepped out of the swirling black mist and into a massive penthouse overlooking the Hell's Kitchen.
I didn't let go. I didn't think I ever wanted to let go.
Dante waved his hand, casually expanding the dimensions of the hallway to create two brand-new rooms for Jean and me. The casual display of whatever that was should have terrified me, but I was entirely distracted by the sensation of Tandy's thumb rubbing soothingly against the back of my hand.
Tandy dropped our things from her magical space or whatever into the conjured bed.
Was that even the correct word? It appeared out of nowhere and I doubted they kept spare beds inside somewhere.
Dante summoned a bottle of wine and four glasses. He poured generously, passing them around before taking a seat opposite the three of us.
I wasn't a fan of wine, but one could say this one was heavenly. Or hellish? I didn't know or even care at this point.
"Before we begin your training, there are a few ground rules," Dante said.
His voice was both smooth and polite.
"I require complete honesty from both of you. It is one of the very few things I will demand," he took a slow sip of his wine. "To teach you properly, I must truly know you. Your limits, your fears, your desires. And in return, I want you to remember something very important."
He leaned forward, his piercing blue eyes locking onto mine, then Jean's.
"I look human. I have acted affably today. But I am a demon. I do not think as you do. Your morality means nothing to me. I do not care what you do in your rooms or in your free time, but if you intend to bring outsiders into this place, you ask first. That's all."
He shot a look at Tandy, who nodded at him with a tiny, proud smile on her face.
It was a stark reminder. He had healed the Professor, saved Jean, and cured my curse, as well as multiple others, but he was still the same creature who had casually forced Charles Xavier to verbally eviscerate himself.
Because there was no other way to call what happened in the med bay but a complete character assassination. I doubted the trust the ones present had in the professor would ever recover. I knew I wouldn't, and I already didn't trust him that much even if he was much better than Erik and his group.
"And pay attention," Tandy interjected firmly, her usual bubbly demeanor vanishing entirely. "Dante is brutal when he trains. I'm not exaggerating. It will break you."
I blinked, noticing a genuinely haunted look cross Tandy's eyes. Beside me, Jean stiffened.
Dante rolled his eyes, waving his hand dismissively. "Do not scare them, love. They will not endure the same you did. I am only teaching them, not adding them to my peerage. They lack your specific advantages. Specifically, your immortality."
"You're immortal?!" I lowered my wine glass. "Wait. What's a peerage?"
"An interesting system from my home dimension," Dante explained calmly. "It uses a set of artifacts called Evil Pieces to reincarnate other beings into my kind. It grants them extended lifespans, vastly enhanced physical traits, and greater magical potential, depending on which piece is used. Tandy holds my Bishop piece. My pieces, specifically, are a bit more… potent than the others. Anyone connected to me is functionally immortal."
And he wasn't interested in us? I didn't know if I should believe that.
I also didn't know if I should be offended if that was the case. Weren't we good enough for him?
He took another sip. "Since reviving the two of you from a fatal mistake would be significantly more costly for me than reviving a peerage member, I will be a bit more careful with your physical limits."
I stared at him. Then I looked at Jean, who mirrored my exact expression of horror.
And the fact that Tandy got even more worried at the promise we wouldn't die didn't exactly filled me with assurance. Could there be worse things than death?
"You can revive people?" Jean asked in disbelief.
Dante made a so-so gesture, "It's possible, but costly. Depending on many things like time of death, who the person was, who has a claim over the soul, and other things I doubt you'd understand. Reviving Tandy is as easy as breathing because she is mine."
I turned slowly to the blonde sitting next to me.
"Tandy," I asked, my voice barely a whisper. "How many times?"
Tandy looked away, taking a large gulp of her wine. "Over forty."
"What the fuck?!" Jean blurted out, her telekinetic energy flaring enough to rattle the wine glasses on the table.
"She got better, and she thrives because of it," Dante continued without a shred of remorse, completely ignoring our panic. "Regardless, your first lesson will be learning to actively feel energy. It is a fundamental skill, and once you master it, I won't be bothered to teleport you if you need to go somewhere."
That caught my attention, cutting through my rising panic. "Like magic?"
"I will get you some sling-rings later," Dante shrugged uncaringly. "You are my students, not my prisoners. I understand you have friends there. Whenever you wish to visit them, you simply do it yourselves. Maybe I should drop you in the Himalayas for you to learn fast, that's what Yao does."
I stared at the demon over the rim of my glass. I had genuinely believed this entire training offer was just an excuse to poach strong mutants away from the X-Men. To isolate us and build his own private army. But he was giving us a door straight back home.
Or was he? He had a damn way with words. I was confused.
Not that I had many ties left to sever. Kitty was my only real friend back at the mansion. The rest were barely acquaintances. And I had no intention of ever going back to the Brotherhood of Mutants, even if I missed my mothers.
"What about our education?" Jean asked.
I barely avoided snorting. Leave it to the perfect one to focus on something as unimportant as education after learning about demons and magic.
Dante paused.
He lowered his glass, looking at Jean with genuine confusion. "You learned today that you're the chosen avatar of one of the strongest entities in the multiverse. And you're worried about a mortal education that is probably wrong?"
"Yes?" Jean frowned. "We have college courses. I'm a junior. Rogue is a sophomore."
Dante slowly turned his head to look at Tandy. "Aren't you enrolled in a university, my love? Now that I think about it, you haven't attended a single class since the day I met you."
Tandy's face flushed bright red. She sank lower into the cushions.
"We have more money than I could ever dream of," Tandy defended herself quickly. "There is literally no point in wasting my time studying a career I didn't even like! The supernatural world is more interesting, and let's be honest, I am never going to need a normal job."
I found myself nodding in agreement. If I had a demonic sugar daddy with infinite wealth and bullshit powers, I wouldn't be sitting through boring classes either.
"What about human interaction, though?" Jean pressed gently. "You mentioned you were human before. Don't you miss normal people?"
Tandy froze. The haunted look returned, darker this time. I recognized that look.
It was the exact same expression I saw in the mirror whenever I thought about Cody and how I put him into a coma. And I had seen some flashes from her while we held hands before. I hadn't gone through all of them, but the sheer negativity of those moments made them impossible to ignore.
"I was in a very bad place before Dante found me," Tandy said, her voice unusually quiet. "I was stealing, drugging myself, and I was living basically on autopilot. Being near a university... it just brings back memories of the life I had before I was saved. I prefer to stay away from it."
An uncomfortable silence filled the room.
"I'm sorry, Tandy. I shouldn't have brought it up," Jean apologized sincerely.
I didn't say anything. I just leaned over and wrapped my arms around Tandy, pulling her into a tight hug. She let out a surprised squeak but immediately melted into the embrace, hugging me back.
I wondered briefly why I was being so incredibly touchy. But then again, I had gone years without feeling human contact. I had a damn excuse, damn it.
But holding her closely brought back the faint impressions I had absorbed from her earlier in the courtyard, since I didn't have the switch back then. My mutation didn't just copy powers and memories; it tasted the very essence of a person.
When I touched Tandy, I had felt her overwhelming, absolute devotion to the demon sitting across from us. It was so intense it bordered on unhealthy. But hearing it from her mouth?
It made perfect sense. He hadn't just given her power. He had pulled her out of hell.
And taken her into another one, quite literally.
The wine continued to flow, and I found myself relaxing on the absurdly soft sofa.
Dante started talking a bit about himself. He explained the politics of something called the Ashen Court in his home dimension, and how his family had recently clawed their way back into nobility. He mentioned a few of his more amusing mortal deals.
I listened quietly, fascinated by the scale of the universe that was hidden from the rest of the world.
Then, the wine truly hit Tandy. Or at least, I told myself that's what caused the usually sweet and innocent girl to spout such vile things.
She started talking about her life with Dante. She gushed about his parents, her new devil friends, and the training (thankfully omitting the gruesome death scenes).
Why did she call them devils and not demons?
"...and the best part is when he is with other women at the same time!" Tandy chirped happily, taking another sip of wine. "It is super fun. Sona is like super cute, acting all serious until her eyes roll to the back of her head, and Rias is absurdly sexy even by devil standards, as for Akeno… you'd have to meet her to understand. You guys have no idea how much stamina a devil has…"
"Hold your horses, sugah!" I choked on my wine, my face burning hotter than ever before. Beside me, Jean looked like a tomato, her face almost the same color as her hair as she stared at the wall.
"Too much?" Tandy giggled.
"Way too much," I coughed. I had never even kissed a boy without nearly killing him. Hearing about a highly active... harem? was a bit above my current pay grade.
It was like those books Kitty liked to read. I thought they were pure fantasies before, but apparently, I was wrong.
Though, despite my embarrassment, a tiny seed of curiosity took root. I sneaked a glance at Dante. He was simply swirling his wine, entirely unashamed and looking highly amused by our reactions.
He was handsome, absurdly so. And having the time to skim a fraction of Tandy's spicier memories earlier... well, she wasn't exaggerating about his stamina or… the other things.
Before Tandy could thoroughly ruin my innocence, Dante's phone vibrated on the table.
He picked it up, glancing at the caller ID. "Excuse me."
He pressed the phone to his ear. I couldn't hear the entire conversation, but Dante's amused expression turned almost giddy before a predatory look grew on his face.
"Tell him to keep his pants on," Dante said dryly into the receiver. "We will be right there."
He hung up and stood from his chair, adjusting his cuffs.
"It looks like the merchant of death was almost convinced," Dante looked down at us. "I need to make a brief house call. You two are welcome to stay here and prepare your rooms, or you can accompany us and see how I make business firsthand."
I thought about it for a single second. An empty room could wait.
"I'll tag along, if that's alright," I said, standing up.
Jean watched me for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh. "If she's going, I'm going. Might as well see what we signed up for."
Dante grinned, and I wondered why that only made him look even more attractive. He stepped forward and placed his hands firmly on our shoulders.
As the same darkness rose to swallow us, my last vivid thought was how incredibly warm his hands felt through my shirt. And how big and strong they were for someone who looked like a damn pretty boy. Not that he had any trouble lifting Tandy and that short-haired girl in those memories.
I was in trouble.
Dante Andromalius.
Teleporting directly into the same office as the last time was amusing, because I knew that Tony expected us to knock or something.
Pepper was already there with a barely concealed sigh, standing protectively near the sofa. Sitting across from her, nursing a glass of whiskey with his arm in a sling, was Tony Stark.
I walked forward and took the main seat opposite him, casually pulling Tandy down to sit on the armrest beside me. Jean and Rogue remained awkwardly standing behind us.
I just snapped my fingers. Two simple chairs materialized out of thin air behind them.
They sat down after testing that they wouldn't break.
The lack of faith in me was absurd.
Tony's eyes tracked the movement. I saw his gaze linger appreciatively on the three incredibly attractive women accompanying me, but he wisely kept his mouth shut.
It was one of the reasons I wanted to have them here. I wanted to see if he truly had as little self-control as the rest of the world believed, or how much his kidnapping had changed the loudest part of him.
"So," Tony drawled, swirling the ice in his glass. "You're the fairy godfather Pepper told me about."
I chuckled, easily seeing through the mocking tone. He was testing the waters, trying to figure out what made me tick.
"Demon, actually," I corrected smoothly. "But I forgive the misconception. I am Dante. This is my light, Tandy. And those two in the back are the interns. You can ignore them."
Rogue let out a muffled snort, while Jean just sighed softly.
"Interns. Right," Tony muttered, leaning forward.
His eyes sharpened, the bored facade dropping completely. "Pepper says you saved my life. She says you somehow made me safer than the armor I built in that cave. I want to know exactly what you did to earn this supposed contract."
Oh my... his pride was talking here.
I simply projected the memory between us. What else did I need but the truth?
I showed him the same thing Pepper and Happy had seen back then, just highlighted even more, so that Tony's brilliant brain could understand how absurdly lucky he had been. The small movements in the air or unnatural movements or decisions that made the terrorist inexplicably miss their shots, how the shrapnel moved erratically to hit the more armored parts, and all those small things everyone else would have ignored.
"That's statistically impossible," Tony said blankly, staring at the projection.
Tandy giggled from her perch on my armrest. "It's magic, silly!"
Tony blinked, looking at her before turning his flat gaze back to me. "Right. Magic Man."
I let the nickname slide, highly amused.
But as the projection faded, Tony's expression darkened.
Anger flared in his chest, all-encompassing. "You were there. You were watching the whole time, and you just let us suffer. You just let..." He trailed off, his voice cracking slightly as he muttered a name. "Yinsen."
"I offered the man salvation," I said quietly, cutting through his rising anger.
Tony froze, his eyes snapping to mine.
"I offered him a chance to survive," I repeated calmly, holding his gaze. "He refused. He told me he wanted to reunite with his family. I respected his choice, Stark. I do not force mortals to live when they are ready to rest."
Tony swallowed hard. A single tear slipped down his bruised cheek, which he quickly wiped away with his good hand. I looked at his soul and saw the realization burning there.
He was aware that his weapons were what caused Yinsen's decision.
But beneath that crushing guilt, his soul shone blindingly. The hatred and fury directed at those terrorists was intoxicating.
I felt a genuine thrill of excitement looking at him. He wasn't going to just sit around and play sick anymore. I was incredibly curious to see what he would do.
"Okay," Tony cleared his throat, pushing the emotion down. "Let's get to the meaty part. What exactly did you need Pepper for?"
Tandy tilted her head, her smile turning almost mocking. "She should have already explained the terms to you. If she kept a detail to herself, that's her deal, Tony, not yours."
What was my cute gremlin planning?
She then batted her eyes at the older redhead.
Tony narrowed his eyes, glaring daggers at me. I could see the exact, wildly incorrect assumption forming in his head.
I threw my head back and burst out laughing. The sheer protective streak and budding hint of jealousy were hilarious.
"Stark," I chuckled, wiping a tear from my eye. "I have absolutely no need for sexual favors from your assistant."
Pepper sputtered violently behind the sofa.
Tandy laughed out loud, looking almost victorious and excited for Pepper.
Pepper reached over and smacked the back of Tony's head, her face glowing just as her hair. "Tony! Why would you even think that?!"
"I didn't say it!" Tony defended himself, rubbing his head. "The Magic Man read my mind!"
"The point of dealing with favors," I smiled, letting the laughter fade into a grin. "Is that I don't know what I will ask for yet. I might never ask for anything. But I have the right to call upon you when the time comes."
Tony rubbed his jaw, looking at Pepper, then back at me. "And if I sign, her total drops?"
"Immediately," I nodded calmly.
Tony didn't hesitate. "Pull it out."
I opened my mouth and spat a glob of hellfire onto the glass table. It instantly cooled, changing itself into the glowing parchment of a demonic contract.
Tony didn't reach for it right away. "JARVIS, run a scan."
A moment later, the thing's voice echoed from the ceiling. "I am unable to determine the material of the document, Sir. However, the text is remarkably straightforward. There are no hidden clauses, no contradictory phrasing, and it explicitly restricts any requests that would violate your moral boundaries or endanger anything you hold dear."
Tony stared at nothing for a second. He looked up at Pepper, offering her a small, reassuring nod, before picking up the pen and signing his name on the dotted line.
The contract burned to ash.
"Pleasure doing business," I said, standing up and pulling Tandy with me. Jean and Rogue stood in unison, their conjured chairs dissolving into the air.
"You're leaving?" Tony asked, leaning forward with genuine curiosity. "Stay for dinner. I have a lot of questions about this whole 'magic and demons' thing."
I could see the sheer hunger in his soul. But… he wasn't ready for magic or even the wider world. No, I wanted him to progress without that particular brand of chaos.
Later, I would introduce him to something more to see what he becomes. I was quite curious to know what that kind of mind would do with access to the real power of the universe.
"Apologies, Stark, but those two are about to drop," I smirked. "Keep having fun, don't become boring. I will be watching. And I know you have to… clean your house before you focus on anything else."
The Dark Force rose from the floor, eating my group whole before Tony could utter another word.
We materialized in the center of the penthouse.
"Right," I clapped my hands, looking at the exhausted faces of my new interns. "Go rest. You both look like you are about to collapse, and I will not have my students passing out on my floor."
Jean nodded tiredly, heading straight for the hallway.
Rogue lingered for a second, rubbing her bare arms. She looked at me, a mix of apprehension and excitement in her eyes. "What's the plan for tomorrow, Dante?"
"Training in the morning," I answered, turning toward the kitchen.
"And later?"
I looked over my shoulder, a smile crossing my face. "Later, we will be hunting for some answers from our skittering friend."
If you'd like to support me and read up to FIVE chapters ahead, you can find me on pat * e*n . com (slash) Infinityreads99 Heads up: I post chapters fully edited, but I sometimes make minor tweaks before they go live here. Thanks for reading!