{Chapter: 009 - Believe Me Black Widow}
Aiden glanced down at himself and let out a long, tired sigh. His clothes—once sturdy and snug—were now little more than charred scraps clinging to his frame. The fabric hung in burnt, uneven shreds, blackened and brittle at the edges. He looked like a walking aftermath of a volcanic eruption.
He frowned.
Being a superhero was far from glamorous. Behind the awe-inspiring powers, public adoration, and dramatic entrances lay the reality of constant battle damage, sleepless nights, and a never-ending cycle of destroyed clothes. The media might praise the victory, but no one ever talked about the cost of dry cleaning—or the lack of dignity that came with fighting half-naked.
"If I keep burning through clothes like this," he muttered to himself, brushing away a smoldering thread, "people are going to think I'm trying to make a fashion statement."
The thought sparked a moment of rare humor in him. Still, the inconvenience was real.
He made a silent mental note: I need a proper battle suit—something strong, heat-resistant, and durable. Not flashy. Just practical. He didn't care about looking cool in battle; he just didn't want to come out of every fight looking like he'd lost a bet with a flamethrower.
And then, as his thoughts wandered, a strange image popped into his mind—Hulk.
That giant green beast had always been something of a mystery, but one aspect, in particular, baffled even the most loyal comic fans and scientists alike: his purple pants.
Aiden crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, thinking. How the hell do those pants survive? Every time the Hulk exploded into a towering mass of muscle and rage, his shirt was the first thing to go—ripped to confetti in seconds. But somehow, miraculously, his pants endured. Battle after battle. Transformation after transformation. Untouched. Unripped. Practically immortal.
"It's gotta be alien fabric," Aiden mused. "Or Stark tech… or maybe just plot armor."
He chuckled to himself, but then his smile faded as he returned to a more serious thought: What if I had Hulk's powers? With that kind of strength, even without strategy or skill, he'd be nearly untouchable on Earth. No conventional force could stop him.
But then he frowned again—this time with genuine frustration.
Earlier, when he absorbed Pyro's ability, he noticed something troubling. Unlike the time with Pepper, this time wasn't smooth at all. When Pepper had allowed him to absorb her ability, it had gone perfectly—clean, effortless, and without resistance. But Pyro? Pyro had fought back with everything he had.
The process had been grueling. Even though Aiden could still steal the ability, it wasn't as simple as touching someone and taking what he wanted. The more the target resisted, the more difficult and painful the absorption became.
Pyro's flames weren't just a learned skill—they were a manifestation of his X-gene, something deeply embedded in his very being. Trying to rip that power away without his consent was like trying to steal heat from the sun itself.
Aiden had to overpower him, not just physically, but on a metaphysical level. He had to crank up the heat so intensely that Pyro's will broke under the pain. Only when Pyro was too overwhelmed by pain could not to resist did the absorption finally begin.
It wasn't a victory. It was a lesson.
And now Aiden understood something very important about his gift.
His ability to absorb powers wasn't omnipotent. It had limits—clear, frustrating limits. He couldn't just walk up to anyone and take what they had, especially if they were strong-willed or born with innate abilities. Consent or incapacitation seemed to be key.
So… no matter how tempting it was, the idea of stealing Hulk's power had to be shelved for now.
Even if Hulk stood still and let Aiden place a hand on him, the sheer might of his gamma-powered DNA might reject the absorption entirely. At best, Aiden would get nothing. At worst… it could kill him.
He needed to grow stronger—much stronger.
Only by amplifying his own strength, refining his control, and understanding the true nature of his devouring power could he dream of absorbing someone as powerful as the Hulk. Until then, his ambition would have to wait.
He had to become stronger; only if he became strong enough could he absorb stronger abilities. That's how it should go, but right now, he's clueless..
Still… he had gained something today.
Flame manipulation.
The power now coursed through him like a second heartbeat. He could feel it just beneath the surface of his skin—a living energy, wild and furious. If wielded correctly, it could become a devastating weapon or a precise tool, depending on how he honed it.
He raised his palm and watched as a small ember danced to life in his hand, flickering playfully before fading.
Yeah. His clothes might be scorched, and his dignity slightly singed, but deep inside, he felt a surge of satisfaction. This was just the beginning.
He grinned to himself, a spark in his eyes.
"With a little practice," he whispered, "this world won't know what hit it."
And with that, he turned toward the horizon—his ruined shirt flapping in the wind, the smoke of battle behind him, and the fire of ambition burning in his heart.
"Sorry, Daisy. Guess dinner at that restaurant's off the table." Aiden offered a wry smile as Daisy met him outside the shopping center, arms full of shopping bags—one of which held his clothes.
She shook her head, tossing him his outfit.
"Doesn't matter. We'll grab food another time… preferably somewhere that doesn't explode around us." She turned toward the car without looking back. "Right now, we need to leave—fast."
Inside the vehicle, Daisy passed him the clothes, her composure oddly unshaken. Aiden, now changing into a fresh shirt, observed her calmly fastening her seatbelt. No panic. No awkward glances. No fear.
So she wasn't afraid of him. That thought settled him more than he expected.
In a world like this—full of superpowered anomalies—maybe someone like Daisy Johnson had seen too much to be rattled. Especially her: hacker, Inhuman, agent-in-training. She'd likely studied people like him. And it showed.
Still, his mind wandered. The Brotherhood would already know. Pyro's powers were gone, stolen in a single breath. SHIELD would catch wind soon. Probably already had.
Even if Black Widow wasn't tailing him directly anymore, he wasn't naïve. SHIELD always had eyes—especially when it came to mutants, and even more so the Brotherhood.
Sure, Pyro struck first. The guy was a menace, one of those mutants who worshipped at the altar of superiority and chaos. SHIELD would likely monitor him more closely now—but unless they were itching for a fight, things should cool off.
Or so he thought—until the screech of tires snapped him out of it.
The car jolted to a halt. Aiden's head snapped up. "What the hell?" he asked.
Daisy's lips thinned, eyes fixed on the jeep blocking their way. "We've got company. And not the friendly kind."
Ahead of them, a matte-black vehicle with reinforced plating and tinted bulletproof windows stood like a wall of authority. Government-grade. SHIELD-grade.
Aiden exhaled slowly, grabbing the lighter from his pocket. "Stay inside." His voice was low. Calm. Inevitable.
He stepped out.
The air shifted.
From the jeep, she emerged—elegant, dangerous, deadly in that all-too-familiar way. Black Widow's red curls glinted in the late light as her lips curled into a knowing smirk.
"I knew you had issues with rules," she said, walking toward him with the confidence of a woman who could kill him five different ways and still make it look seductive. "But I didn't think you'd snap them in half this fast. Pyro, huh? Of all powers… you went for his?"
Aiden flicked the lighter. Click.
A stream of flame danced across his knuckles, snaking up his forearm like a serpent basking in worship. "SHIELD's faster than I gave credit for." He smirked, gaze steady. "And you—you always struck me as the type who liked to keep watching. I'm guessing you enjoyed the show?"
Her smile didn't waver, but the tilt of her head sharpened. "Tell me something…" she murmured, circling him slowly, eyes never leaving the flame. "Was it really just a coincidence? You walk into a random restaurant… run into Pyro, of all people—a mutant whose powers just so happen to complement your little Extremis situation? And then what? He starts a fight, and you end up walking out with his powers like it was gift-wrapped?"
She stopped in front of him. Their eyes locked.
"That's a lot of coincidence, even for a man with pretty flames."
Aiden leaned in just slightly, voice a sultry murmur.
"Coincidence is just the universe flirting with destiny." He let the flame curl around his fingers before extinguishing it with a snap.
It seems she was alert.
It was known that he had absorbed Extremis and also absorbed the powers of Pyro, but who knows if he had any other abilities? How can Black Widow treat such a dangerous person lightly? She probably already prepared a backup if he attacks her.
For a moment, tension crackled between them like static. Not hostility. Something more dangerous.
She narrowed her eyes, smile never quite fading. "Don't get cocky."
He grinned. "Too late. That ship sailed the moment you showed up wearing leather and suspicion."
"Yes, what a perfect coincidence, huh?" Aiden smirked, flicking the lighter open with a click.
"But that's how the universe works. You seal an apple in a box, and sure—it rots. Breaks down into atoms, energy, dust… goes through every state imaginable."
He leaned in slightly, eyes locked with hers.
"But in the end? Eventually it will become the same apple again." A pause—then a shrug, casual and smug all at once. "So don't tell me what's impossible in an infinite universe. Everything connects, eventually. It's just a matter of time."
His lips curled into a teasing smile.
"Now, let's talk about you. You didn't come all this way just to ogle me and play spy games, did you? Or are you secretly hoping for a little spark of your own?"
"Mmm…" Natasha paused for a moment, clearly taken aback by his explanation. But she quickly masked her surprise with a teasing smile. "I'm here to invite you to SHIELD, handsome. And yes, bring your cute little girlfriend along too," she said, lips curling into a smirk.
Aiden's eyes narrowed, the flames swirling playfully around his fingers fading into smoke. "And what if I say no?"
"Don't get all dramatic on me," Natasha said, her voice sultry but laced with warning. "It's not about you swiping Pyro's powers. Frankly, we're used to people like you. But your darling girl is a bit more… complicated. The Rising Tide hackers have been stirring up quite a mess lately—leaking things the world isn't ready for. SHIELD doesn't like surprises."
Aiden gave a slow, lazy grin. "Whether it's for me or her, it doesn't matter. The answer's the same. I'm not in the mood to drop by SHIELD anytime soon. You can go ahead and write that in your little report."
Natasha's gaze sharpened. "And what if I refuse to leave?"
Aiden chuckled and stepped a little closer, just enough to blur the line between threat and flirtation. "Then I guess we'll have to dance," he said, voice dropping to a low, tempting murmur. "But I should warn you—there's something seriously wrong with me. Every time I fight a beautiful woman… she ends up falling for me."
He ended the line with a wink that would've made a lesser woman blush. Natasha raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed but unable to hide a flicker of amusement.
"Really now?" she said dryly.
Aiden shrugged with mock innocence. "I don't start trouble. If people leave me and those I care about alone, I don't go around breaking bones or spilling blood. I actually like friendly relationships. Especially with redheads in leather," he added with a smirk, glancing at her curves with zero subtlety. "But that depends entirely on whether SHIELD—and you—know how to play nice."
Without waiting for a reply, he turned away, tossing a final, smug glance over his shoulder.
"Let's go," he said to Daisy, sliding into the passenger seat.
Daisy revved the engine with a soft smile, and the car rolled forward, slowly vanishing into the night. Natasha didn't move, didn't follow.
She stood there, arms crossed, eyes still fixed on the trail of their departure. Her voice dropped to a whisper meant only for herself.
but it's barely been a day since you made that promise, and already you've stolen a mutant's gift, teamed up with a Rising Tide operative,
"You say you won't cause trouble unless provoked… But how long has it even been since you said that you won't be a threat to SHIELD? Now you already have a girlfriend and that too with someone from the rising tide organization and even stole a mutant's power. and flirted with me like we're on a dinner date. How the hell am I supposed to trust you?" Natasha muttered to herself.
*****
I am transitioning to Subscribestar. Currently, there is no content available, but it will be added shortly.