Chapter 27: Black Widow Natasha Romanoff, Raven The Witch

"I am Iron Man!"

Ethan Hayes closed the news app on his phone.

"I've been upstaged," he muttered, feeling a slight dip in his desire points. No matter what, his persona as the Ice Demon couldn't compete with the sensation Tony Stark just created. The world adored Stark, and after Wilson Fisk's downfall, people seemed to appreciate Ethan's actions, but it was Stark's confession that truly stole the spotlight.

"Finally, some relief," Ethan thought, his mind briefly drifting to the stock market. Tony Stark's revelation sent Stark Industries' stock soaring. The market's reaction to the Mark armor and arc reactor technology had been instantaneous, and Stark Industries' value skyrocketed by 80%.

Short positions were obliterated, and Ethan's long position benefited immensely. Every 5-point increase in the stock price doubled his principal. After covering interest and fees, he'd made a 20x return on his investment.

And this was only the beginning. With Stark Industries entering the energy market, Tony would soon become even wealthier. The stock price would continue to rise, and Ethan's wealth with it. But for now, as his phone rang incessantly, he ignored the calls—most of them were from people he didn't care about, likely trying to ride his coattails.

With just over a month left until graduation, Ethan was living his best life. He spent his days casually attending school, and after class, he enjoyed his time with Gwen Stacy. The world around him grew strange—his classmates noticing the changes in his life—but Ethan didn't care. He continued his secret relationship with Gwen, and on occasion, visited Jessica Jones for more "private" encounters. Jessica was avoiding him more and more, likely overwhelmed by the intensity of their meetings.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had been quiet since Phil Coulson's last visit, but Ethan knew that silence wouldn't last. They, along with other agencies, would come calling again.

Meanwhile, Natasha Romanoff—Black Widow herself—was receiving her next mission. She sat in a briefing room with Nick Fury, listening carefully as he handed her a file.

"Natasha, you don't need to worry about Stark right now. Focus on this instead—the Ice Demon," Fury said, his single eye stern as ever.

Natasha opened the file, quickly scanning through the details. "A high school student?" She raised an eyebrow. "This kid is ruthless."

She'd been dealing with Tony Stark for a while now, but her interest in the Ice Demon hadn't diminished. She had originally been tasked with investigating him, but with Tony Stark's situation, that mission had been handed off to Coulson and Barton.

"The Ice Demon's power level is highly dangerous," Fury explained. "Barton compared him to Magneto. His abilities could cause massive destruction, and his age makes him volatile. If we don't guide him carefully, we might have another Magneto on our hands."

Natasha nodded, her expression serious. "His parents were killed by gangsters, right? And those gangsters were connected to Hell's Kitchen?"

"Correct. He spent two years living there, likely gathering information on the gangs before wiping them out," Fury confirmed.

Natasha flipped through the pages, skimming the details of the gangsters who had met their end at the Ice Demon's hands. "He's targeting criminals. I don't see him losing control or using his power for personal gain. It's vengeance, but it's focused."

"Imagine if his power went out of control, though," Fury said gravely. "If he froze New York… we'd be looking at a natural disaster. Thousands, maybe millions, would be trapped in ice, and we'd be powerless to stop him."

Natasha grimaced at the thought. "So, what do you want me to do? Charm him? I don't want to end up as an ice sculpture myself, Fury."

"He's just an eighteen-year-old high school student, Natasha. I trust your skills. Even if you can't recruit him to S.H.I.E.L.D., I need you to build a connection with him—keep him on our side."

Fury's tone was heavy with resignation. The Ice Demon was a greater threat than the Hulk at this point, not just because of his power, but because of his mentality. At his age, with the traumas he had endured, he could be easily swayed to either side. Fury couldn't risk letting someone else get to him first.

Natasha sighed. She didn't relish the idea of seducing a high school kid, but she knew she had to follow orders. "I'll handle it. He's technically an adult, so… I guess that makes it less weird."

Fury smirked. "That's the spirit. We don't need him to be a full-fledged agent—just an ally, someone who'll at least trust us when the time comes."

Natasha closed the file, her mind already formulating a plan. She'd been trained for this—deception, seduction, and manipulation were her specialties. The Ice Demon wouldn't be an easy target, but she had her ways.

Meanwhile, in another part of the city, Raven—also known as Mystique—was preparing her own move. Dressed in a sophisticated white suit with gray accents, she adjusted her glasses and looked over the school Ethan Hayes attended.

"Eric, this Ice Demon may not be a Mutant," Mystique said softly, a hint of frustration in her voice.

Her mission was to investigate the Ice Demon and determine if he was, in fact, a Mutant. If he was, Magneto would certainly want to recruit him for the Brotherhood.

Mystique's face shifted, her features morphing into those of Juliet, Ethan's homeroom teacher. As she adjusted her glasses, her new identity was complete—a young, attractive Caucasian woman, one that could blend into Ethan's school without raising suspicion.

She was ready to get close and learn everything there was to know about Ethan Hayes.

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