Back in the Marvel world, Rowan immediately called Maya Hansen. "Hey, Maya, bring me one dose of the Extremis virus. I'm going to need it." Not long after, Maya Hansen arrived at the CEO's office with a vial of Extremis. Rowan took the vial and drove straight back to the S.H.I.E.L.D. apartment. It was a little after five in the afternoon. He called both Maria Hill and Natasha, telling them to come home early tonight and skip any overtime. About half an hour later, Natasha and Hill arrived one after the other. After the three of them had dinner, Rowan pulled two small wooden boxes from his bag and set them on the dining table. "Rowan, what's this?" Hill eyed the boxes curiously, wondering if he'd brought them some jewelry. Rowan smiled faintly and opened both boxes in front of them. Inside lay irregular, jade-green stones with a faint inner glow. Both Hill and Natasha's eyes widened. The stones seemed to hold light within them, clearly something extraordinary. "Remember I told you last night that I had something good for you?" Rowan said with a smirk. Hill picked up one of the glowing stones, turning it over in her hand. "Exactly," Rowan nodded. "This will enhance your physical abilities." "Huh? A rock that can make you stronger?" Hill blinked in disbelief. Was this some kind of radiation thing? "Don't doubt it. You'll see soon enough." Still smiling, Rowan took the other piece of jade marrow and drew the dagger hidden inside his boot. This was no ordinary blade it had been upgraded to level 7 and was razor sharp. He pierced the stone, and a faintly glowing liquid began to seep out. "There's liquid inside?" Natasha was just as astonished. She had never heard of a gemstone containing fluid. "Alright, who's going first?" Rowan asked, holding out the pierced jade marrow. "Uh… we're supposed to drink it?" Hill asked, her expression tight. "Yeah, drink it," Rowan said, then pushed it toward Natasha. "Don't worry. I've had it before it's not bad, actually kind of refreshing." Natasha gave him a brief look, then took the stone. Tilting her head back, she let the drops fall into her mouth. Her lips parted slightly, revealing the soft red of her tongue, and Rowan couldn't help but grin especially since the memory of last night was still fresh. The moment the liquid hit her tongue, Natasha's body trembled. That cool, soothing sensation spread through her entire body. Rowan quickly scooped her up and set her on the couch. "What's happening to her?" Hill asked. "Relax, she's going through the strengthening process," Rowan said, placing a hand on Natasha's forehead. She was a little warm. Right now, she felt like she had both a fever and… something else heat flooding her body, but in a way that was oddly pleasant. Soft sounds escaped her lips from time to time. Hill's cheeks flushed. She was already worrying she'd end up in the same state. Doing that in front of Rowan felt far too embarrassing. About half an hour later, Natasha's condition finally stabilized. A thin layer of impurities had surfaced on her skin. Official source is Nov3lFɪre.ɴet "What… happened to me?" she murmured. "You drank the jade marrow. It strengthened your body," Rowan explained. "That… was the stuff I just drank?" Natasha sat up, shaking her head before looking down at her hands and flexing them. She could feel the difference her strength, her energy everything was at its peak. Noticing the grime on her skin, she hurried into the bathroom to wash it off. Rowan glanced after her, then turned to Hill. "Uh… could I drink mine in my room?" she asked hesitantly. After seeing Natasha's reaction, she couldn't imagine going through the process in front of him. It had looked far too much like… well. "That's fine," Rowan said with a nod. The jade marrow was gentle enough that even without him there, it wouldn't cause any harm. He pierced the other piece and handed it to Hill. She took it eagerly and hurried off to her bedroom she wanted to be stronger too. With Rowan this powerful now, she didn't want to be a burden. Once the door shut, Rowan just smiled. He could still check on her with his telepathy if he wanted. "Where's Hill?" Natasha asked when she emerged from the bathroom. The jade marrow had refined her body her skin was now flawless and luminous, her waist even slimmer, her figure stunning. "She thought your reaction earlier was a bit too… much, so she decided to take hers in private," Rowan said, shrugging. Natasha froze, her face heating as she remembered the noises she'd been making. "You two—!" she started to protest, but no words came out. "Alright, come on. You're not done yet," Rowan said, pulling a crimson vial from his bag. Natasha's body tensed. She knew exactly what this meant. When Rowan stepped into the bedroom, she took a deep breath and followed. "Sit on the balcony," he instructed. She obeyed, crossing her legs on the tiled floor. The balcony was safer the Extremis virus caused heat surges during the transformation, and wood floors couldn't handle it. Natasha nodded, though her hand gripped the hem of his shirt. She wasn't as calm as she looked. Rowan injected the Extremis into a vein in her arm. Almost instantly, a faint red glow spread beneath her skin. The searing heat in her blood forced a sound from her throat. The red light grew brighter until her body seemed like a piece of heated iron. Rowan narrowed his eyes, debating whether to shield some of the heat with his powers, but then the glow began to fade on its own until only her lower abdomen still shimmered faintly. A moment later, Natasha's body trembled, and the last trace of red disappeared. Her eyes snapped open, bright with joy and shining with unshed tears. Her hand instinctively pressed to her lower abdomen. She didn't need tests to know something precious that she'd lost long ago had been restored. Her voice broke as she threw herself into his arms, tears spilling silently down her cheeks. ————————————————————————————————————————————————— Already hooked? Tell me what reeled you in leave a review, spark the fire with a comment, and if we hit every 250 Power Stones, a bonus chapter drops! The evolution's just begun. Dive deeper into Unbound Evolution and stay leagues ahead! [email protected]/_tey