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I leaned back in the chair, staring at the ceiling of the room, lost in thought. Now that I had uncovered the details about the body I was inhabiting, the knowledge didn't drastically change much. My "disappearance" at the hands of my uncle, which was clearly a veiled attempt to eliminate me and take control of the inheritance, felt less like a tragedy and more like an opportunity. Sure, I could go and confront him now, probably even kill him if I wanted to. I was strong enough for that.

But where's the fun in that?

A smirk crept onto my face as I mused over the possibilities. No, I'd wait. I'd bide my time until I pulled [Nightmare] from the gacha. When that happened, I'd craft a hellish dreamscape for my dear uncle—a labyrinth of torment he could never escape.

The thought of it sent a dark thrill through me. Revenge was best served cold, after all.

Shaking off the lingering thoughts, I glanced over my shoulder at Phil Coulson, still unconscious on the bed. Then, turning back to the laptop, I began typing.

First order of business: fixing my records.

I made subtle adjustments to the system, resurrecting myself in the eyes of the government. With careful tweaks, I ensured my status was updated to "alive" without raising any flags and changing my name from Tess to Rin walker . It would make my life infinitely easier. Being a "dead" person moving around in society was a surefire way to attract unwanted attention, and I didn't need SHIELD or any other group sniffing around.

To make sure the changes wouldn't be traced back to me, I buried them among minor updates to hundreds of other profiles. A tweak here, an adjustment there—enough noise to make my alterations look like nothing more than a routine system update. By the time I was done, my profile blended seamlessly back into the system.

I leaned back, cracking my knuckles with satisfaction. "There. That should take care of things."

Casting one last look at Coulson's unconscious form, I stood up.

"Sweet dreams, Agent Coulson," I whispered, a sly grin playing on my lips.

With a final thought, I activated [Shadow Step], dissolving into darkness and vanishing from the room.

==

"You stupid imp, can you not eat so fast?" I snapped at my shadow fiend as he gnawed on yet another rusted car frame. We were in an abandoned car dumping yard, surrounded by the skeletal remains of vehicles, their twisted metal glinting dully under the afternoon sun.

Fiend, my impish shadow companion, had a peculiar ability: the more he consumed a particular material, the higher the chances he could mimic its properties. The downside? He needed to devour an ungodly amount of it to manifest anything worthwhile. That's why we were here—where Fiend could gorge himself on steel, aluminum, and all the other metal compounds used in car manufacturing.

Honestly, the best way to describe Fiend was as a low-level Mahoraga—a creature that could evolve into something terrifyingly powerful with enough time and the right resources to consume. While he wasn't quite there yet, I could see the potential in him.

Sighing, I stretched my arms and glanced down at my phone. I had been trying to gather intel on Ulysses Klaue, the infamous black-market dealer known for his access to vibranium. I knew he operated out of South Africa, but specifics on his location and power level were still murky. This world was a strange blend of movies and comics, so I couldn't be sure how formidable he was—comic Klaue might be far more dangerous than his cinematic counterpart.

After an hour of fruitless searching, I decided to call it a day. Closing my phone with a click, I turned to Fiend. He was sprawled out on the ground, his bloated form resembling a heap of shadows mixed with metal fragments. Surrounding him were the remains of about 90 cars, completely disassembled and devoured.

"Okay, big guy, time to wake up. Now's not the time to nap," I said, nudging him gently with my foot.

Fiend's glowing eyes flickered open, and he let out a low, guttural growl in protest before slowly rising to his full height. His shadowy body seemed heavier now, with metallic streaks weaving through his form. Then, something strange happened.

Fiend raised one of his four arms, and with a sickening screech, a metal sword formed out of his hand, gleaming in the dim light.

My eyes widened as realization dawned on me. Fiend had unlocked a new ability.

Excitement bubbled up inside me as I watched him wield the metallic weapon with ease. We spent the next hour testing his newfound power.

The verdict? Fiend now had the ability to control metal within his body and manipulate metallic objects in his surroundings. The first part was seamless—he could shape, morph, and even extend metal directly from his body. The second part, however, was less impressive. His range of influence over external metal was limited, and the control was shaky at best.

Still, progress was progress. I couldn't help but grin as I patted Fiend on the side. "Good job, big guy. You're getting stronger."

Fiend let out a satisfied growl, his glowing eyes radiating a hint of pride.

This was just the beginning. With enough time, resources, and a little patience, Fiend could become a force to be reckoned with.

I unsummoned Fiend with a wave of my hand, watching as his shadowy form melted into the ground and vanished. Pulling the sling ring from my pocket, I quickly opened a portal back to my base.

The portal shimmered with orange and gold hues, revealing the familiar sight of my mountain retreat. Nestled deep in a remote and isolated area, the base looked like nothing more than a simple cabin from the outside—a perfect disguise.

Once inside, though, it was a different story. The interior was cluttered with an assortment of "acquired" items. A flat-screen TV hung on one wall, while a state-of-the-art laptop sat on a makeshift desk. Guns, ammunition, and other equipment were stacked neatly in a corner. The place had everything I needed to operate quietly, including the spoils of my less-than-legal escapades.

I tossed the sling ring onto the table and sited on the chair, grabbing the remote. With a press of a button, the TV flickered to life. The screen immediately displayed breaking news footage of New Mexico, where the aftermath of Thor and Loki's fight was still making headlines.

It had been three weeks since I'd gotten the information I wanted from Coulson, and I'd made good use of that time. Access to the SHIELD database had proven to be a goldmine. With Coulson's password—simple, yet surprisingly effective—I had a backdoor into their systems. The man was practically a walking vault of intelligence, and cracking his laptop had given me everything I needed to stay a step ahead.

Oh, that's new," I muttered to myself, scanning the laptop screen. My fingers paused on the keyboard as I absorbed the information displayed before me. It was a SHIELD report—on me.

The details were sparse, thankfully. They had no information on my name, age, and gender, the data was limited. My abilities were marked as "unknown," which brought a grin to my face. The only image they had of me was from the time I'd worn [Definitely Not Me], my enchanted mask. The thought of SHIELD chasing shadows was amusing, especially since they didn't even have a proper lead.

Leaning back in the chair, I couldn't help but let out a small chuckle. These past two weeks had been anything but uneventful. Sure, a significant portion of my time had been spent digging up information on Klaue and feeding Fiend, but it wasn't all research and logistics. I'd also gone out into the field, testing my skills and having some run-ins with the local "players."

Wilson Fisk's goons had been a good warm-up. They weren't much of a challenge, but they were a step up from common street thugs. Then there were the more colorful encounters—the occasional clashes with Spider-Man's rogues and, on rare occasions, Spider-Man himself.

I winced slightly, remembering one particular fight that had been a very close call. Too close. The kind that makes you rethink your approach.

"Ah, no more dwelling on that," I muttered, shaking my head to clear the thought.

Tomorrow was going to be a big day, and I intended to enjoy the downtime while I could. 

====

hope you enjoy until next time .