Negative Ten Finally
It's been about ten months, or at least that's what it felt like to Jake ever since he was forced inside the dark realm, just like Martin Li was forced inside, but it was finally over as he was back in reality, and he found out it's been about ten days since anyone last heard from him.
The days in the dark dimension were honestly something, as about a hundred different versions of himself and all the symbiotes he's absorbed during the symbiote wars were all fighting one another over the chance of finally breaking free and leaving this place.
During this time the Jake that returned honestly has no idea if he was the original Jake, and neither does Ekaj for that matter, as neither of them know if they were the original versions of themselves or were just the lucky ones to survive till the end.
All he knew was he was the one most tired of the fighting and also the most dangerous, as he and Ekaj are the only ones left alive from all the others, since Jake and Ekaj are basically the same person from how close they are.
Looking at his reflection, Jake sees how messed up his clothes look and quickly creates a military-looking outfit with a jacket that has broken, fragmented wings connected to a circle on his back spreading out behind him.
Walking around the area, Jake saw how everyone seemed to view the Avengers as the ones who did everything when he was doing everything he possibly could to help the real Martin get out and then risked his own sanity to break out of the place.
Jake clenched his fist so hard that some blood started to dribble from his hand, and something must have happened, or the red symbiote power must have grown, as his red blood was now a form of acid, as the ground started to sizzle and smoke the second his blood touched it.
Nick Fury: "(Grabs Jake by the shoulder) Hello. It's been a while, I know, but it's best for the world and for our organization that everyone thinks the Avengers, Fantastic Four, or even the X-Men saved the day."
Jake: "(Sighs) What's the point in helping out then if everything I do is either credited to someone else, and the people I care for think I'm nothing more than a bum!"
Nick Fury: "The Avengers are the light of hope for the world at large. The Fantastic Four are called for when things get too dangerous and need a little levity. And the X-Men... well, they're just here to try and dismiss the hate everyone seems to have for mutant kind. We, however, are responsible for maintaining the very fragile balance the world constantly finds itself in, as well as getting rid of the things in the shadows that would cause mass panic to the planet. (Pats Jake on the back) At least the pay is great for all the fame you lose."
Jake smiles and chuckles as he follows Nick Fury to one of the many hidden S.H.I.E.L.D. bases, and Nick Fury takes Jake in for questioning as he just vanished and then reappeared just like Martin Li had as he absorbed everything made by his other self.
This was all smoke and mirrors, a stage magician type of thing, as T'Challa was still hanging around the S.H.I.E.L.D. helicarrier while Ava showed him around, which was really just distracting him, as he didn't want him to find Jake, as he probably has a file on his false identity that Jake might have completely forgotten.
Nick Fury also wanted to know what changes there might have been thanks to Jake's not-so-little adventure that had him battle himself and other versions of himself for almost a whole year in a world of pure darkness with the only visible things appearing whenever there was sound.
T'Challa has been looking for wherever the energy signature from everything that had gone missing from his heavily secret vault the day before his coronation was, and as the helicarrier was the last known location from their energy signatures.
Because of that, T'Challa was forcing his stay as the representative from the Wakandan people to stay for however long he wanted if it meant finding the shapeshifter that turned into at least a snake and ate all his stuff and then blended in with the tourists.
Thankfully, Ava seemed to be distracting him really well, as it seemed he was more interested in her than finding the items, but just when it seemed like he had forgotten all about them, he'd just as quickly begin looking for his items once more.
When the questioning was finished, Jake and T'Challa met for the first time, and the two just looked at one another as T'Challa held out a hand, anticipating a handshake from Jake.
T'Challa: "Hello there, sir. I saw what you did on the monitor, and I must say you have the honor of a warrior."
Jake: "(Shakes T'Challa's hand) Well, I have a lot of people that I wanted to save."
The second both T'Challa's and Jake's hands touch, there's a sudden jolt of energy that goes between them, and for a brief second Jake thinks something might happen, but nothing does as T'Challa just smiles and finally leaves.
Jake: "We've been found out. He's probably going to try and attack me in the future or maybe try his hand at attacking S.H.I.E.L.D. agents or some of the secret areas to get back for harboring the man who stole from Wakandan royalty."
Nick Fury: "If that day comes to pass, then we'll be ready to fight against them if need be. However, I have a feeling that things won't be that easy for them."
Jake raises an eyebrow as he wonders what the heck Nick Fury meant by that but quickly decides that it was probably for the best that he didn't know what was going through his head and just accepted that Wakanda isn't waging a war on S.H.I.E.L.D. just yet.
For now, Jake just wanted to relax at home and see his family for the first time after effectively a year of nonstop fighting.
Upon entering his family's apartment, he gets a flood of flashbacks from the constant battles he had here, along with a lot of memories of everything he did with his family before he went into the dark world.
His parents were happy to see that he was alive and hugged their son that Nick Fury said was still missing, as there were a lot of people missing after Martin Li's little bioterrorism attack, and it was hard finding them, as they had no idea where to even look.
Haley, however, wasn't that welcoming of her big brother, as she was annoyed that he's been constantly ditching her ever since he came back from his little summer trip, and she wasn't pleased by how often her brother kept leaving.
This was something the parents and Jake found very strange, as she didn't seem to really care that much where Jake went so long as he let her know beforehand. Maybe it's because she's almost a teenager and it's her rebellious phase, or she's gotten spoiled over her brother always being there for her.
But that's a problem for future Jake to handle, as for the moment Jake just wants to rest and relax for more than five minutes for once after ten months of straight fighting, as the dark world made it so that you never got hungry or physically tired.
Mentally, however, he was still screwed if he got tired enough, and since Ekaj and Jake weren't sharing a body anymore, they couldn't swap so the other could take a rest to make it seem like they were a demon with unlimited stamina.
Once Jake sits on his bed, he starts crying without really knowing why. But he doesn't care, as he's just so happy to finally be home and rest, to the point he doesn't care if he's the original or not, as he thinks of himself as Jake, as does Ekaj, and that's good enough for him.
Meanwhile in Wakanda, T'Challa is talking with his people, mainly his expert hunting unit, as he's found the man they've been after and wants his things back, along with sending a message to everyone who thinks he's weak thanks to this little mouse.
However, Nick Fury's predictions were right, as it was time for the Golden Lion tribe to fight for its dominance once again, as, just like T'Challa, they seem to have gotten a new leader themselves, and this one, unlike the past, seems to employ newer and more dishonorable tactics.
T'Challa: "I have a feeling that our enemy from America had planned this from the start."
With a sigh, T'Challa calls off his most covert unit of hunters, as he needs them here far more than to get back something that honestly doesn't matter anymore, which causes T'Challa to chuckle, as he knows he's been bested in terms of wit for once and finds it enjoyable.
And that is all for now hope you all enjoyed and until next time stay safe and peace!