Marvel: A Tale of Shadows

Grim Reaper grunted in annoyance as he raised his scythe arm into the air. The Hydra soldiers behind Viper tensed up for a moment before Grim Reaper chuckled. "Bring out the merchandise we want to be here as short as possible."

Viper rolled her eyes as she addressed a Hydra soldier that was standing behind her, "go bring out the crates." She then turned back to Grim Reaper as he lowered his scythe arm, "two crates of ammunition or one crate of weapons per each head, as long as they are in a good condition."

The Hydra soldiers of Grim Reaper's faction started pulling out struggling and crying children out of the fashioned prison cells that were in the truck back. While Viper's faction moved the crates out of the helicopters and near Viper.

"We only brought twenty children today. Ages six to fifteen with only two of them having awakened mutant powers. One can levitate herself and nearby objects, the other one expels narcoleptic gasses." Grim Reaper stated as handed a folder with the profiles of all the children inside.

Viper opened it and started looking over it, "we will pay double for the mutants. So, how about eight weapon crates and twenty-two ammunition boxes along with one box of a new unrefined metal we found."

"New metal? Let me see it." Grim Reaper's answer was quickly obliged as Viper waved a soldier over that was struggling to push a cart with a single wheel-sized crate in it. Once it was over he slashed off the roof and looked inside frowning. "It just looks like coal."

Viper sighed as she walked forward and pulled out a hand sized rock but it was clear to Grim Reaper and Beetle that she was struggling to hold it because her entire arm was flexed. "It may look like coal, but it is stronger than refined tungsten. Heavier than it as well with a very unique property that we noticed by accident." She pulled a flashlight out of the Hydra soldier's hand that was pushing the cart and then powered it on and pointed it at the rock.

Grim Reaper still did not understand but Beetle did as he stepped closer and spoke up for the first time since the meeting started. "The rock is not casting a shadow. But your hand is." That statement caused Grim Reaper to pay more attention and look at the phenomenon.

Beetle was right, she was pointing the flashlight at the rock but instead of casting a shadow of the rock it just cast a shadow of the hand that was holding it underneath. "We have taken to calling it Shadow Metal because of its unique phenomenon."

She handed the rock over to Grim Reaper who almost dropped it, not expecting it to be so heavy. "If you want us to just accept only one crate we will need to know at least a bit more."

Viper nodded, "very well. We found it at the end of December in 2009, it was a meteorite that somehow safely crashed. Its impact was a minimal crater despite its large size. We believe it has some sort of absorption properties but we can't be certain."

"What has stopped you from testing it?"

"Aside from a lack of equipment? A lack of readings. Doesn't even appear on a camera." Viper explained as she took back the rock and tossed it into the box causing very little sound.

"Hmm… we will take it. Move the rest of the goods." Grim Reaper called out as Beetle stepped forward to take the cart with Shadow Metal in it. "We will contact you in several months about another deal when things cool down."

Viper grunted as she turned her attention to the children, counting them to make sure no shenanigans were happening.

—-----------------------------

The trade lasted for maybe an hour. Then the two Hydra groups were separating as Ethan started tracking the helicopters using the satellite he hijacked. After the 'Silver Movers' went away he started up his motorcycle and started following the helicopters from a distance.

He drove along the road. At some point he noticed that the road lacked any traffic. It was oddly off putting, so he slowed down and moved quietly on foot. While on the satellite footage he watched the helicopters land inside of a school gymnasium. That was all he needed.

Because as he was walking towards the town he noticed the amount of surveillance cameras. More than likely the entire town was a base for Hydra. He doubted he could get close enough to spot anything. So he would just have to remotely hack the town, he already had the town's name. Nestine, a small town out of the way of any possible roadways. No remarkable features either, it was not even a spot for traffic to pass through.

Honestly he would be impressed if it wasn't for the fact that they were a bunch of child abducting terrorist scumbags. Not to mention the other atrocities they have no doubt committed.

He snuck back to his motorcycle and rode back to the city. It was close to midnight when he arrived in the city. Which is when he noticed it.

He caught sight of him just out of the corner of his eyes.

It was one of those Hydra goons that were working with 'Silver Movers', he was the one with full body armor. Ethan was not quite up to date on the whole Hero and Villain nonsense. That might be the next project he works on. The question was, how did this guy catch onto him.

He sighed as he sifted through his memories. Did he spot this person earlier and not realize it? The answer? Yes.

When he followed the helicopters to the town of Nestine. This guy was trailing behind, following the other Hydra group that Viper is a part of. It seems there was an issue between the two groups.

He redirected towards central park. Moving between vehicles quickly, he had a feeling he would not lose this guy without a fight.

BOOM!

He was proven correct a moment later as a rocket sailed past him and exploded against a light pole. Causing it to fall and shrapnel to rain down on nearby people. Ethan sped up quickly driving under the falling light pole.

He zoomed down the street, looking in his side mirror he saw this tech hydra operative was flying quickly after him. Ethan sped up as there were green lasers passing him by inches. It seemed Hydra had their own laser weaponry. He would study it when he got a chance. But for now he should really focus on what is currently going on.

He arrived at central park just as he could hear sirens in the distance. He would have only a limited amount of time before the police arrived and made his life complicated. Which is why he jumped off his motorcycle as soon as he was under some trees, letting it crash into a bush.

The Hydra goon flew to the area he disappeared from. He floated in the area and was about to get ambushed by Ethan when he saw a spurt of white attaching itself to the goons back.

"Hey there mister!" A teenage voice yelled as a person in blue and red sweats swung in holding the other end of the webbing. "Got a name? No? Then how about you turn yourself in and we can find out your name!"

The goon spun around and used a blade that appeared from his gauntlet to cut the web, "Name's the Beetle, and I don't have time for you kid!" The self declared Beetle yelled as he launched himself towards Spider-Man.

"Wow!" Spider-Man dodged backwards onto a tree and then leapt off it as a storm of lasers from Beetle melted the tree in half.

The tree creaked as it fell while Ethan moved silently among the branches.

Spider-Man was in retreat when a rocket fired from Beetle's shoulder hit a tree. The explosion sent him flying into a pond. "Ahh!"

As Beetle turned around Ethan launched his attack, having already drawn his knife. He dropped from the branches and embedded his knife in the Beetle's jetpack. It sputtered and Beetle grunted as he fell to the ground.

Ethan jumped off doing a backwards flip while pulling out his knife. The Beetle had two blades that appeared from his gauntlets. They began a game of parrying and striking. With Beetle trying to disable Ethan while Ethan was moving quickly and slashing any gear that was left unprotected. Which quickly accumulated as one of Beetle's weapons shorted out.

"Coming back in!" A teenage voice yelled as two webs came flying in. Ethan leaned back and dodged the web aimed at his head. Beetle wasn't so lucky, web covered his face, blinding him.

Ethan leaped forward and slashed through the last pieces of his equipment and then jumped back, dodging a punch from Spider-Man. Ethan spun his knife in hand and hit him in the gut with the knife handle. Causing the kid to lose his breath. 

Then Ethan grabbed Beetle's mask just as he managed to tear off the webbing. He quickly moved to a nearby rock and started smashing Beetle's head against the rock. After a few strikes the helmet was cracked and Beetle had stopped struggling. So Ethan tossed him aside, satisfied that he would be out for a while.

As he walked back he moved to the side as Spider-Man launched another attack. But instead of striking the kid he grabbed him by his ankle and tossed him through the canopy of trees causing him to fly far onto a rooftop outside of the park. He was shell shocked for a moment before he swung back to the area the fight was happening. But Ethan had already disappeared.

As soon as Spider-Man was out of sight he retrieved and rode out of the area on his motorcycle. Avoiding the police and arriving quickly at his defunct subway hideout. He decided it would be better to come here and change before walking home.

Hopefully that villain, Beetle, would be out for at least a week. He made sure to calculate enough head trauma to put him in a temporary coma. A feat he was only able to do thanks to the influx of memories from when he first got his enhanced abilities.

He really had to look more into those memories. Because so far the information seemed permanent, while his life with that woman who was only a blur now was fading.