A few days later...
[3rd person POV]
The control room of SHIELD's Helicarrier hummed with the quiet murmur of agents and the occasional burst of information scrolling across monitors. In the center, Nick Fury leaned back in his chair, his one good eye scanning the digital tablet before him. The reports were... staggering. He looked up as Natasha Romanoff stepped into the room, her usual composed demeanor intact.
"Romanoff," Fury began, setting the tablet down with a slight thud. "I've been reading some very interesting reports. Care to explain more about this Aron character?"
Natasha arched an eyebrow and crossed her arms, leaning against the table. "Which report caught your attention, Director? Bakuto's faction going dark in a single night? Or maybe Stryker and Shaw's operations crumbling like a house of cards?"
"All of it," Fury replied, leaning forward. "The Bakuto thing was a surgical strike. You, Storm, and Blink being involved was impressive enough. But the way Aron coordinated it, dismantling an entire network in a single night? That's... something else. Then there's this bit about him turning Emma Frost into a decent person." Fury let the weight of the words hang in the air. "Emma Frost. As in the 'manipulative telepath who could sell ice in Antarctica.' That Emma Frost."
She smirked faintly. "She's still herself, but yes, she's surprisingly... cooperative now, all thanks to him saving her sister."
"And Stryker?" Fury pressed. "Shaw? Hammerhead's operations taking one hell of a hit, with Natasha Romanoff herself being rescued from one of their warehouses? You don't usually need saving."
Natasha's expression tightened briefly before she let out a breath. "That night wasn't... ideal. I underestimated them, never thought there would be Hydra involved in there. If not for him, I'd be probably dead or lying on a bed with pipes down my throat. I owe him for that."
Fury narrowed his eye. "And that doesn't happen often. Professor Xavier mentioned him, but he didn't go into much detail. All I got out of him was that Aron was someone's clone and he needed help to hide his identity and create a new one. That doesn't explain why he's so effective. Tell me more about his power. His character."
Natasha hesitated, her gaze dropping briefly. "He's... complex. Aron's not just powerful; he's strategic, resourceful, and—when necessary—merciless. He has the ability to wield multiple mutations without any of the usual strains or limitations. And he can temporarily lend those abilities to others."
"Lend them?" Fury repeated, his tone sharp.
"Yes," She confirmed. "At Bakuto's base, he lent me kinetic manipulation. For a brief time, I could absorb and redirect kinetic energy like it was second nature."
Fury leaned back, processing the information. "And here I thought I'd seen it all. You don't usually throw compliments around, Romanoff. This guy must be something."
Natasha nodded, her expression softening slightly. "He is. I don't know how or why, but I get this feeling he's been through a lot and seen even more. When he looks at me, it's like he can see right through me. It's almost... disconcerting."
Fury nodded, his mind turning over the possibilities. "It's good to have people like him in our corner. We can use him."
"You think he'll agree to work with SHIELD?" Natasha asked.
Fury chuckled, "I'm not talking about making him an agent, though it might not be a bad idea. No, what I mean is he could do a lot of good for this world, and I'm going to make sure he does. Maybe we could add him to the Avengers team or create a secondary team."
She watched as Fury reached for the tablet again, his face set in determination.
"You know it won't be easy. The X-Force might be his first priority, he's a mutant after all," She said.
He nodded. "I know. But it never is, is it?"
As he spoke, the door to the command center opened, and Maria Hill strode into the room. Her gaze locked with Fury's, and she crossed her arms.
"Director, I've got the files you requested on the X-Force."
"Good."
"What are you planning now?" Natasha asked.
"Since Mutants and the Avengers are going to be working together from now on, so, it might be possible to recruit him on our side. Professor Xavier already has Jean, Storm, and God knows, how many more powerful mutants on his side. Now, with Aron and Emma, he's only getting stronger. If we can recruit Aron, Emma might follow him and it will balance out things. If he agrees to work with us, it'll give us a tactical advantage against anyone who dares to stand against us. It's a win-win situation." Fury explained.
Natasha raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"If he refuses, then what?" She asked.
"A clone without any past... He must be looking for a goal, right? What if we give it to him? A chance to become something more than a clone, a hero who saves people, and makes a difference. Something that will give him purpose, a place in this world. I'm going to give him one," Fury said with a confident tone. "Besides, according to the report, he hasn't yet joined the X-Force."
"You do know that he is a double edge sword. Even with all that if he refuses to join our side, then he becomes a wild card. And you know how dangerous those can be. With Shaw and Stryker out of the way, Magneto must be keeping an eye on him. This won't be easy. And if he gets pissed, things would go really bad. Just imagine, a man without any limits, as our enemy... He might be hearing our conversation for all we know," Natasha stated, her voice filled with concern.
Fury smiled. "That's where you come in."
"Oh, no. You can't be serious!" Natasha jumped up from her chair.
Fury held up a hand. "I am. Think about it, Nat. You're already close to him."
"He can read mind. It's impossible for me to hide my thoughts from him. He will know everything, including this conversation," She shook her head, frowning.
Fury just gave her that look.
"Sigh!" She sat down with a sigh.
"Let him. It's not like we are doing anything bad, are we? The aliens are knocking at our door... Hydra, running wild, rogue mutants, a giant lizard, an assassin in a scorpion suit, a guy in a rhino armor... I could go all day long. We are barely holding the balance in this world. We need people like him on our side. If we succeed in making a mutant a global icon like Ironman, loved by all, maybe we will be able to do something about Trask Industries too, legally," Fury explained.
Natasha crossed her arms, her expression unreadable.
"Give it a try. I know you are older than him, still, maybe you will find your own happiness." Fury added, looking at her.
"How would that even work? I'm not even sure how old he is. He looks like a 19 or 20-year-old..."
"So, the greatest spy, Natasha Romanoff, is afraid of a little romance?" He chuckled.
"No, I'm not afraid of it. I'm just saying he's young, and I'm not even sure if he thinks of me in that way..." she said, sighing again.
"There's only one way to find out," he replied, his tone steady.
"Tsk. Fine..."
...
[Meanwhile...] [NY] [Aron's first person POV]
I teleported onto a quiet rooftop overlooking the city, feeling the familiar rush of air and the faint tug of space snapping back into place behind me. The city stretched out below, glittering with life and chaos. I'd been practicing my powers for hours now—testing precision, speed, and endurance.
I was imagining something along the lines of instant teleportation from DBz. A barrage of attacks while teleporting around my enemy. I can use ice shards or fireballs instead of chi blasts and I got the disintegration ray for ultimate. 'Heheheh... Hell yeah!'
As I teleported again to another rooftop, a quiet sound caught my attention.
Munch. Crunch.
I turned toward the source, half-expecting a stray cat or a bird. Instead, I found her—a girl in a black-and-white suit, her hood up, legs dangling over the edge of the rooftop. There she was... Ghost Spider. She was holding a sandwich, mid-bite, a pack of Doritos, with her mask pulled up just enough to reveal her mouth.
"Well, this is awkward," she said, swallowing and lowering her sandwich. "Usually, rooftops are my thing. Do I need to start paying rent here, or...?"
I chuckled, crossing my arms. "You're fine. I was just... practicing." I let a smirk creep onto my face. "Didn't expect company."
"Practicing?" she said, tilting her head. "That's why you've been blinking all over the city like a broken light bulb?"
I raised an eyebrow. "You've been watching me?"
She shrugged. "Hard not to notice. You're fast, but you leave these faint energy ripples. Kind of like sonar for people like me."
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