Marvel: A Tale of Shadows

Standing high up on a tightrope, Felicia only contemplated her new strange life for only a moment before she focused on the task on hand at the moment. Which was actually two tasks, one was making it across the tightrope that went from one side of the very large warehouse to the other side. The other task which was much more important and the reason Felicia was so nervous, to not fall.

Unlike typical practice areas for gymnastics and other acrobatics, this exercise facility was not outfitted with a net to catch anyone that falls. Instead if she fell, she would fall down onto either the ground floor or the second floor depending on where she fell.

On the first floor by the entrance was the weight area, where various kinds of exercise and weight training exercise equipment resided. In the next area was the punching bags and the boxing ring, which sat under the sidewall where a set of tinted windows were. The next area was an open area outfitted with training mats, various kinds of wooden and practice weapons were set up along the edge of this area. The next and largest area of the ground floor was the gymnastics and acrobatics area. Where various gymnastic equipment was set up. There was even this large climbing tower with five different ways up that went to the warehouse's high ceiling. Then attached to this tower going to each of the other corners of the facility were different tight ropes or cables. Currently she was on the longest one that went diagonally across the facility.

On the second floor were several different running, bicycle, and other automated equipment. Then along the front entrance and over much of the acrobatic equipment were three large areas. One was outfitted as a batting cage. The second one was a grass field where some soccer goals were set up. The final one was a basketball court… or rather half of a basketball court, including a singular hoop.

Above, on the roof of the second floor and strewn about the rest of the facility was more gymnastic and acrobatic equipment. None of it was outfitted to be… safe.

At the moment down on the ground floor. Black Fox glanced up at Felicia occasionally checking on her. Satisfied with her progress so far he turned back his attention to his newest student. As Laura tried walking across the beam she waved her hands only slightly after she fell the first two times.

He was caught off guard when the couple brought their 'house guest' with them. Yet the old fox decided to go along with it. But after he looked over her body once he understood. It was clear the young girl had gone through a lot despite her young age. Especially considering her bones were all metallic and heavy, that alone hinted at her high regeneration.

From there it did not take him long to figure out they also brought her along to get his advice discreetly as well as any help he might be able to provide.

He already provided the advice to Ethan and Felicia when they talked briefly when Laura was looking around the facility. Which was to just take care of her and not show her off or in public since more than likely someone is looking for her. He also decided to look into Laura briefly, mostly because whichever barbarian decided to experiment on a child like this was definitely destined for the pitch black gates of hell.

He would make certain of it.

Laura completed walking across the beam and then spun around walking across it much quicker this time.

"That is great Laura! We will practice more on this beam until you can easily control your balance." Black Fox exclaimed as he gave a congratulatory clap.

"Cool! Can I do what Felicia is doing next?" Laura asked.

Black Fox flinched for a moment before he shook his head, "not yet. Felicia is in a more advanced stage of her training. You will need at least two months before you can even try that."

"Awww…" Laura pouted while turning her attention back to walking along the beam.

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Below the facility, deep underground. In a long and rectangular area where a set of targets were set over a mile in distance away from a set of three booths. Sitting in… or rather crouching on the table in the booth was Ethan. Holding a basic hunting rifle with several obvious defects.

Whether it was the slightly almost imperceptible bent shape to the wear and tear from time and use. The overly sensitive trigger mechanism. The cracked wooden rifle butt. Or the scope that was off and mislabeled.

Along the area were several air vents that were blowing out air or pulling out air in order to create a 'windy' condition. Then there were the various lights, with some blinking while others were completely off or blinking on occasion. Then there was the sound of dripping water, he had no idea where it was coming from, but it was clearly made to as a distraction or interference along with all the other things in the shooting range.

Ethan breathed in and out slowly for a minute until he suddenly stopped. His finger near the trigger he tapped it and the rifle fired. The bullet flew through the range moving light because of the 'wind' until there was a metal ping as it hit the target.

Looking at the target Ethan frowned and clicked his tongue in annoyance. The spot he hit was only slightly off center, but he was still dissatisfied. He lowered the rifle and hopped off the stand he was crouching on top of.

"Are you going to come out now?" Ethan asked as he set down the rifle and looked at a corner of the room where a figure was hiding in the darkness.

The figure stepped forward, she was a muscled woman in an ordinary black suit, straight out of one of those conspiracy films.

Unlike the films though, he noticed a few details that were way different. For one this muscular and tall woman had snuck down on her without anyone noticing. But considering she was wearing a mask of some kind, he figured she had one or two other gadgets up her sleeve.

Ethan looked over at her only for a moment, "if you were here to fight I assume I would have never seen you coming. So how can I help you?"

"I am just here to meet one of my future employees. Is it just Reaper the Hacker? Or will you use a different callsign?" The woman had a clear British accent that was even thicker than the old Fox's voice.

"Hmm… I suppose I will add something. But I will keep the Reaper part. If you are my future employer I assume you are the head of the organization that my parents work for?" Ethan walked over to a table with several other guns that were in varying conditions.

"First Line. I figured you had already got that much info about us?" The surprise in her voice had a tinge of disappointment.

"Haha… no. As much as it might seem, hackers know everything, we do not. Not to mention groups who have very little digital footprints are hard to track." Ethan explained before he picked up and inspected an old world war two rifle. "Luckily I practiced spywork and managed to find out about three of your safehouses, one of which doubles as an information hub. Then there is your human resources and accounting department which is disguised as a bank of all things. I assume you have more places though."

The woman smiled before nodding. "There are indeed. Hmm… well anyway. I wanted your help with some hacking work in that case. You will be paid of course, not that you will need the money."

"Certainly, what do you need?" Ethan started taking apart the gun to familiarize himself with it. He had done this with several weapons before he practiced with them. He was currently training himself to recognize and account for any flaw in a weapon, in case of emergencies.

Unlike Felicia and Laura who were perfectly okay. Ethan still had broken ribs so Black Fox had him training things like guns and endurance runs instead of stressing his injuries. It would be like this for at least a few more weeks, he had already noticed that his injuries were healing quicker than it would have in the past. He figured it was a side effect of what he is calling the 'Spider Bite Serum'.

He had been keeping it secret, but he also realized he would need to figure out who the other 'Spider-Totems' were so he could watch over them. Because he still had this nagging feeling about that whole situation.

"I actually need two things. One is to help in modernizing our system, because we need to become more… dependent on technology. But we also need it secure from hacking. We also need you to back trace a hack that was used to access an encrypted file we had secretly stored away on Shield Servers. Unfortunately a copy was made and stolen, fortunately the person that made it was competent enough to make it inaccessible with it being traced. So we know they have yet to get through the encryption. But we still need it found." The woman explained, but she seemed a bit shifty and nervous.

"Hmm… okay. Tracing a hack is not too difficult. But if it was from the Shield Servers… I will need direct access. But I doubt-" Ethan did not get to finish his thought as he stopped focusing on the guns and turned his attention to the British Woman.

"Done. And the other thing?" She asked while looking relieved.

"Well… it won't be difficult to modernize. The difficult part would be keeping it secure. In that case it will take me a few years." Ethan took a moment to process that this woman had some invisible back door into one of the most secure facilities in the country.

"A few years! What is so difficult!?!" The woman raised her voice, but it was clear she was more shocked than angry.

"Well, the world and technology is advancing by leaps and bounds. So I will have to build a facility and security company to house encrypted servers. But it can't just be a warehouse and I can't just trust any construction company to make it. So before even that I have to build machines and robots to build the facility. Which I have to first invent, but before even that I have to create a tech company that has permission to use Artificial Intelligence and have to make it look natural so no one catches on." Ethan quickly explained before he stopped and tilted his head upwards as he thought of something.

"Actually… I do have an idea. I suppose it could take me a year and half with this shortcut. But it will still take my time. In the meantime, give me a month to set up an encrypted network system that will piggyback off of various decommissioned satellites." Ethan informed her before turning his attention back to the guns.

"Will it be secure? Because it does not sound exactly secure."

"Ha… yes, I plan to set it up in such a way that it will be noticeable if someone looks for it. But when they decrypt it the messages will just look like stray and lost messages and emails." Ethan glanced at her and saw the confusion on her face. "Basically I am making an explanation for where all the socks go when they get lost in the washing machine. But instead of socks it will be emails."

"You mean that joke about Gremlins?" The woman asked with doubt in her voice.

"Ohh… Gremlin Network. I can work with that." Ethan glanced up from what he was doing for only a moment. "Anyways are all operatives of First Line… enhanced like yourself and Black Fox?"

The woman seemed to think for a moment as she contemplated what he met. "Ah… you mean serums. No, actually most are not. But I do plan to make it a requirement going forward. The world is becoming more dangerous, we have failed supersolders, mutants, tech-geniuses, and even Inhumans. It wouldn't do if we couldn't do our job at every corner because of them."

"Really? So you have made a regular serum?" Ethan asked, worried more about Felicia rather than anything else.

"No, actually that is what Felicia's father has been working on for the past few years. Apparently he has figured it out within the last year. But he needs to… leave Oscorp before he can really get started. I suppose he could work with his daughter to perfect it, or even customize it." She glanced at him and seemed to think of something.

"If you are worried about your girlfriend, I wouldn't be. Apparently her father has already picked out a serum especially for her. It should put her on par with even whatever you took." The woman's statement caused Ethan to stop working and glance over at her.

"Huh, guess I won't need one of the serums then." He chuckled before going back to work on the guns.

"Indeed. For your information, those spiders have even disappeared from our sight. So if you get a chance, secure them. Having fifty living supersoldier serums is very dangerous." The woman walked toward the staircase, her footsteps silent as she went. "I will have you going to Shield Headquarters within a month, so listen to the consultation request from them."

He glanced at her and sighed. He then shook his head. He was hoping to get an idea of whether either of his parents had taken a serum before he was conceived. Because even he realized he was abnormally smart. Of course it helped that he had an Eidetic Memory and could quickly pick up on anything he set his mind to. But still, it was quite abnormal.

Long had he contemplated the possibility that he was born with a genetic abnormality. Unfortunately, he had yet to really search for his own genetics.

Actually, maybe that should be his next project after he finishes with this psychic blocking technology.

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Meanwhile at the New York Public Library.

Steve Rogers looked through a file and smiled at what he was looking for. Nearby his current babysitter, Black Widow, or rather Natasha Romanov or Nat. Was stretching as she woke up from her nap.

She looked over and saw him smiling. "Find what you were looking for?"

"Yes I did. It is possible to look up old decommissioned facilities by checking out this information. Now we have a lead." Steve explained before he stood up. "Come on, we have a lot more work to do."