Ethan let out a bark of laughter, completely unfazed by the insult. He'd spent months being stared at by stoic, judgmental monks in the Himalayas; a blonde teenager calling him a creep was practically a compliment.
"Relax, I'm just messing with you. I've got enough on my plate without adding 'interdimensional kidnapping' to the list," Ethan said, standing up and gesturing for her to follow. "Come on, I'll show you to a room. This place has about forty of them, and most haven't been slept in since the Victorian era."
He led her up the grand staircase to a guest suite that was surprisingly clean, thanks to the terrified staff he'd put to work earlier. Gwen stood in the doorway, her eyes scanning the room for exitsâhabitual vigilante behavior.
"So, what's the catch?" she asked, turning back to him. "Am I your captive until you figure out how to dump me back into my own universe?"
"No, of course not. I'm not some psychopath with a dungeon," Ethan replied, leaning against the doorframe. "Since I know exactly who you are, I know you aren't going to go on a crime spree. I have zero obligation to keep you here. You can walk out that front door whenever you want and live however you like."
He paused, giving her a pointed look. "But do you actually have anywhere to go? No money, no ID, and you're wearing borrowed sweatpants in a city that looks like home but thinks you don't exist. It's a tough sell."
Gwen opened her mouth to argue, then closed it. She looked at the floor, the reality of her situation finally sinking in. "Right. No money. No life."
"Stay as long as you need," Ethan said. "It's not like I'm paying rent. As for your identity, I know a guyâa very rich, very smart guyâwho can get you papers that'll pass a federal audit. So for now, just sit tight and try to sleep. Tomorrow we'll figure out the rest."
Gwen looked at him for a long moment, the suspicion in her eyes softening just a fraction. "Thank you, Ethan."
"Don't mention it. Goodnight, Gwen."
*****
Ethan retreated to his own suite and finally kicked off his shoes. He sat on the edge of the bed, rubbing his hands together with a greedy glint in his eyes.
"Alright, System. Let's see if that box was worth the tag."
He tapped the Rare Material Box in his inventory. A pulse of violet light filled the room, and a heavy, jagged shard of dark, shimmering metal materialized in front of him.
[ Item Acquired: Nth Metal Fragment]
Grade: SR Origin: Earth-Prime (DC Universe)
Description: A rare, high-density isotope with unique anti-gravity and magic-conductive properties. Forged in the fires of Thanagar, this metal is capable of disrupting mystical energy and healing the wearer.
Ethan picked up the shard. It was surprisingly warm to the touch and hummed with a low, vibrating frequency. It was technically pricelessâa material that could negate the laws of physics and make a user nearly invulnerable to magic.
He turned it over once, looked at it with a flat expression, and then tossed it into the far corner of the room.
"What am I, a blacksmith?" he muttered. "What am I supposed to do with a hunk of rock? Build a belt buckle? It's a paperweight for anyone who isn't a master engineer. Give me a skill or a new template, you stingy machine."
He flopped back onto his pillows, staring at the ceiling. He was exhausted, but his brain was still buzzing with Gwen's arrival. Eventually, sleep claimed him, but it didn't last long.
****
Ethan was jolted awake a few hours later by a piercing, high-pitched chime right next to his ear. He snapped his eyes open, and a glowing holographic window was already hovering six inches from his nose.
[ Urgent Mission: The Golden Goose is Cooking]
Objective: Tony Stark is currently engaged in a lethal confrontation with Obadiah Stane's Iron Monger at Stark Industries HQ. The protagonist's life is in critical danger.
Reward: 4,000 System Points, 3% Albus Dumbledore Synchronization.
Ethan let out a long, suffering sigh, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "So tonight is the night, huh? First a Spider-Girl drops into my lap, and now a corporate coup. This night is way too busy for a guy with a luxury apartment."
He sat up, stretching his back until it popped. He knew how this was supposed to go. Tony wins, Stane fries. But the arrival of Gwen had already proved the "Sacred Timeline" was leaking. If he had changed even one small detail in the desert, maybe Tony wouldn't be fast enough this time.
How large a cyclone can my butterfly wings cause?
If Obadiah managed to squeeze Tony's heart out before the Arc Reactor overloaded, Ethan's massive investment in Stark stocks was going to turn into a total loss.
"Better not take the risk," Ethan muttered.
He didn't bother with a cape or his robes. He grabbed his leather jacket, checked his hair in the mirrorâstill perfectâand visualized the glowing blue Arc Reactor building on the horizon.
With a sharp flick of his wrist, a sparking orange portal tore through the air of his bedroom. On the other side, the sound of heavy metal crashing and the roar of a prototype engine reached him instantly.
"Time to save the billionaire," Ethan said, stepping into the sparks. "Again."
Author's Note:
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