Chapter 71: Divine Fire. Shiranui

A genetically modified monster!!!

A cold gleam flashed in Ethan Hayes' eyes as he observed the situation. Gwen squeezed his hand gently and shook her head.

"Ethan, let's leave here for now," Gwen said softly, her voice filled with concern.

Ethan sighed. "It's hard to believe we've come to this point—classmates turning into enemies."

Gwen's eyes widened in surprise. "Do you know something?"

Ethan just smiled and shook his head. "Let's not talk about that now. I'll take you home."

Just then, sirens blared, and a fleet of police cars surrounded the school. Students flooded out of the building, panicking. Director George Stacy arrived, looking frantic as he rushed over to Gwen and Ethan.

"Gwen, Ethan, are you both okay?" George asked, his face full of worry.

"Dad, we're fine," Gwen reassured him.

"Uncle George, we're all good," Ethan added.

George nodded, but his focus quickly shifted back to the scene. "Ethan, please take Gwen home now."

As they turned to leave, George entered the chaotic ballroom with his officers. Bright lights illuminated the strange scene: nine shriveled mummies lay in pools of blood, their lifeless bodies without any visible wounds. The bizarre sight stunned the officers, and many stood frozen in disbelief.

"Director, do werewolves and vampires really exist?" Catherine Beckett, one of the officers, asked in a trembling voice.

George didn't know how to answer. The lizard monsters were one thing—products of Dr. Connor's genetic experiments. But these mummified remains resembled something out of a supernatural legend, a sight that shook even the most hardened of officers.

"Beckett, I… I don't know," George replied helplessly.

"Forensics, I need to know how these monsters died," George ordered, trying to regain his composure.

New York's leading medical examiner, Henry Morgan, stepped forward. "Director, I've examined the bodies. They died from dehydration."

George blinked in disbelief. "Dehydration? There's blood everywhere."

Morgan nodded. "Their bodies were drained of all water, possibly by some external force. The red liquid you see is the separated plasma, which has lost its water content."

Morgan, an immortal forensic doctor with centuries of experience, was disturbed. In all his years, he had never seen such a strange cause of death.

"Director George, in cases like this, I suggest we call Agent Phil Coulson from S.H.I.E.L.D.," Morgan advised.

At that moment, Phil Coulson entered the room with a team of S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. The agents moved with practiced efficiency, handling the scene as if they had seen this kind of thing before.

"Mr. Morgan, it's good to see you again," Coulson said as he approached.

Coulson's attention quickly shifted to a hidden camera in the room. "Carl, get me the surveillance footage from tonight," Coulson ordered one of his agents.

"On it, Phil. You can count on me," the agent replied.

Looking at the mummified remains, Coulson knew this was no ordinary case. He had a sinking feeling that the cause of this disaster was the last person he wanted to deal with—the Ice Demon.

"If anyone could have taken down these genetically modified monsters, it's him," Coulson thought to himself, knowing full well that the Ice Demon's powers were beyond conventional understanding.

Meanwhile, Brock Rumlow, a HYDRA agent, was fuming.

"Damn it, find out who did this! Was it Peter Parker, or maybe even Dr. Connors?" Rumlow growled. "Does Peter Parker know what kind of demon was at this dance?"

His subordinates didn't dare speak, all equally unsettled by the night's events.

"Check our records on Ethan Hayes. His name is too familiar. Cross-reference him with the files Nick Fury has archived," Rumlow ordered. He suspected the Ice Demon's involvement, and as HYDRA had a deep connection to Osborn's genetic experiments, the pieces were starting to fall into place.

A subordinate quickly retrieved the file. "Sir, Ethan Hayes, 18 years old, of Chinese descent. He's been in the U.S. for four years. He's also the author of Fifty Shades of Grey, a shareholder in Stark Industries, and a major stakeholder in Osborn Group."

Rumlow's eyes narrowed. "And what about Natasha Romanoff? Did her recent visit to New York coincide with Ethan's whereabouts?"

"Yes, sir. Natasha stayed at Ethan Hayes' Long Island villa just a few days ago."

A wicked smile crept across Rumlow's face. "Finally, we've found you."

At Ethan's Central Park villa, Gwen sat on the couch, still rattled from the night's chaos.

"That ball was ruined," Gwen muttered, frustrated. "How can I be in a good mood after that?"

Ethan wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close. "Look on the bright side—we definitely made an impression tonight. Besides, if I hadn't intervened, things could have ended much worse."

Gwen shuddered at the thought. "Thank God you acted when you did. But Ethan, you still haven't told me—what exactly is your ability?"

Ethan smiled. "It's magic. I can control water using my magic."

"Wait, so last time when we went fishing… you were cheating?" Gwen asked, eyes narrowing playfully.

Ethan shrugged. "Aren't you always using your Spider-sense to cheat, too?"

Gwen laughed but then grew serious again. "Go take a shower first. You said ten minutes, right?"

"What do you think?" Ethan smirked, giving her a playful smack.

"Okay, okay, go!" Gwen laughed, shooing him off.

Meanwhile, Brock Rumlow's instincts told him something was wrong. He and his HYDRA team were in armored vehicles, rushing to get out of New York.

"Something's not right," Rumlow muttered as they crossed the Manhattan Bridge.

Suddenly, the river below surged upward, wrapping around their convoy. Vehicles spun out of control as the water swept them off the bridge.

Inside the chaos, Rumlow tried to escape but found the water receding, leaving just enough room for him to survive. A figure emerged from the water, stepping gracefully onto the surface—Ethan, the Ice Demon, dressed in a sky-blue suit.

"Fire!" Rumlow screamed, pulling his gun and shooting wildly.

Ethan calmly raised his hand, and a curtain of water formed a shield, catching each bullet and suspending them in mid-air.

"Brock Rumlow… HYDRA, huh?" Ethan said, recognizing the face. "I wasn't expecting to run into you."

Rumlow's mind raced. "You—how do you know me? How do you know I'm with HYDRA?"

"HYDRA has a habit of meddling where it doesn't belong," Ethan replied, stepping onto the icy road he created beneath the river.

Rumlow realized the gravity of the situation. If Ethan knew his true identity as a HYDRA agent, then S.H.I.E.L.D.'s entire operation could be compromised.

"Ice Demon, HYDRA respects your strength. We could offer you a place among us—great wealth and power. The world could be yours," Rumlow said, desperate to buy time.

Ethan's expression didn't change. "I'm not interested."

Rumlow slowly knelt, resignation in his eyes. "Then, please, kill me with your ice. I don't want to become a mummy."

Ethan chuckled darkly. "Oh, HYDRA has too many ways to bring back the dead. No, I'll do you one better."

With a flick of his wrist, Ethan conjured fire in his hand—a divine flame that crackled with unimaginable heat.

Shiranui.

The river boiled as the fire consumed everything in its path. Rumlow's vehicle melted into slag, his body incinerated in an instant. Ethan soared into the sky, leaving nothing but steam rising from the water.

Back at his villa, Ethan walked into the master bedroom to find Gwen waiting for him, her expression a mix of curiosity and anticipation.

"You're back just in time," she teased.

Ethan untied his tie, tossed his shoes aside, and grinned. "I promised ten minutes, didn't I?"

As he embraced her, the desire points in his system surged.

Desire value: 3.56 million.

A smirk tugged at his lips. "Tonight's going to be very interesting."

At S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secret base, Nick Fury frowned as he stared at the mummified remains of the genetically modified monsters.

"It's not just dehydration," one of the forensic experts said. "There's not a single drop of water left in their cells—not even in their bone marrow."

"These creatures were in a state of absolute dehydration," another expert added. "No carbon-based lifeform could survive this."

Fury's phone buzzed, and a message appeared with a video attached. The footage showed a massive spider-like creature being handled effortlessly by a human.

Fury scowled as he opened the message, seeing who had sent it.

Tony Stark.

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