Chapter 22: Only A Pervert Can Write Such A Novel!
"Barton… Barton…" Phil Coulson called out as he scanned the area.
At that moment, Clint Barton, better known as Hawkeye, was sweating coldly. All around him, dense icicles hovered in the air, sharp and menacing, exuding a freezing breath that made him feel like he was standing in the Arctic.
"Phil, I'm here," Hawkeye responded through his earpiece, eyeing the icicles warily.
"Is the hazard assessment complete?" Phil asked, his voice low.
Hawkeye exhaled shakily. "Another Magneto," he muttered.
Phil Coulson's eyes widened in shock. "What? How can that be?"
"If you'd pushed any harder, I might not be standing here right now. Our assessment of the 'Ice Demon' is way off—he's far more dangerous than we anticipated. He's very dangerous," Barton added, his tone serious.
Hawkeye had faced numerous deadly situations in his career, but this… this was different. Never had he felt so close to crossing the line between life and death.
"Let's get out of here, Phil," Barton said as he started walking toward the SUV.
Phil Coulson nodded. He knew Director Nick Fury would want a full report, and things were not looking good. The encounter had made it clear that the Ice Demon—Ethan Hayes—was not someone to be trifled with. He had confidence born from sheer strength, and Phil knew that S.H.I.E.L.D.'s usual tactics wouldn't work on him.
As the black Ford SUV drove away from Ethan's estate, Phil glanced back at the young man standing by the window, holding a glass of red wine, watching them leave.
"What's coming can't be avoided forever," Ethan muttered to himself as he took a sip from his glass.
Checking his desire points, Ethan felt no urgency to unlock the second stage of his frozen fruit ability. He could do it anytime—when the need arose. But for now, there were other ways to improve his power, and his frozen fruit ability was already strong enough to deal with any threats.
There was no rush. He would focus on completing more tasks, stacking up rewards, and aiming for that elusive golden blind box. And then there was the main mission—a quest with numerous heroines in this world, allowing him to accumulate more and more rewards. Jessica Jones had been crossed off his list, and now his sights were set on Gwen Stacy. After that, perhaps Natasha Romanoff, the Black Widow, would come next.
"I just need to keep playing my part. I'm only a high school student—obscure, low-key. Let Nick Fury underestimate me for now," Ethan mused with a smirk.
Meanwhile, in the SUV, Phil Coulson and Barton were deep in conversation.
"We know so little about this guy," Barton said, still shaken. "He's a very dangerous superhuman, Phil."
Coulson was silent for a moment before replying. "This is Fury's decision now."
Barton looked thoughtful. "He knows more than he's letting on. I'm worried he's not just some random high school kid."
Phil nodded. According to their intel, Ethan had shorted Stark Industries just before Tony Stark closed the weapons manufacturing division. Somehow, Ethan had timed everything perfectly, making a fortune. Not only that, but while the world was bearish on Stark Industries, Ethan had bought up shares and placed long bets, using 20x leverage to rake in huge profits. It was almost like he knew the future.
"There's something off about him. His age, his calculated moves—he's too calm for a kid. It's like he's been through this before," Phil muttered, frowning.
"And then there's this," Barton said, raising a copy of Fifty Shades of Grey. "No normal teenager writes something like this. Only a real pervert could come up with this stuff, let alone when they're still a minor."
Phil chuckled, though there was an undercurrent of seriousness. "That's true. But what worries me more are the bodies piling up. His ability to kill without remorse… it's not normal, Barton. We're dealing with someone who's capable of terrible things."
Hawkeye shivered, not from the cold, but from the thought of what Ethan might do next. This was a high school student who had already left over a thousand bodies in his wake—triad members, drug dealers, and others in Hell's Kitchen.
"I've killed plenty of people in my line of work, Phil, but this kid… he scares me," Barton admitted.
"He's calm. Too mature for his age. That's the scariest part," Phil agreed. "And that's why Fury has to make the call on this one."
Barton nodded, though he still had mixed feelings. He felt for Ethan. The kid had come to America, lost his parents in a brutal murder, and had lived in the darkness of Hell's Kitchen. That would twist anyone's personality. But Barton also knew that this combination of trauma and power could lead Ethan down a very dark path.
"He needs to be brought in, Phil. He's a walking time bomb. If we don't contain him now, he's going to lose control—and when he does, we're all in trouble."
Phil Coulson nodded gravely. "Agreed. The question is… how do we contain him?"
Back at Ethan's manor, he finished his glass of wine and smirked. "Nick Fury, don't disappoint me. I'll play the Ice Demon for now, but you won't find me so easy to control."
His mind shifted to his current mission. He had done well so far, stacking his tasks and progressing smoothly. But there were more heroines to conquer, and Gwen Stacy was just the beginning.
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