I'M IN MARVEL

c42 I Am the Mage Spider-Man

"The dragon does not live with the snake."

Coulson paused at the cryptic statement, his expression initially one of confusion before twisting into something darker, his brow furrowed in contemplation.

A realization dawned on him, and his face shifted to uncertainty.

Finally, after a long, assessing gaze at Russell, Coulson spoke:

"Russell, are you rejecting SHIELD's authority, or are you refusing to assist us?"

"Both." Russell's response was simple, but loaded with meaning.

Coulson stared, waiting for further explanation, which came almost reluctantly.

"The duty of a sorcerer of Kamar-Taj is to protect the world from magical invasions. We typically don't involve ourselves in the workings of the mundane world unless absolutely necessary." Russell explained, eyes unwavering. "What this means, Coulson, is that SHIELD and Hydra can handle their own affairs without my involvement... though I'll step in when I choose."

Coulson's expression remained grim as the implications of Russell's words sank in. The line between necessary intervention and casual indifference was razor-thin for this powerful mage.

Russell continued, "I'll interfere when it suits me, but that's not often."

"Understood." Coulson exhaled, absorbing the weight of the response.

The SHIELD agent had been staying at Russell's bookstore for days, hoping to extract intel on the Dr. Pym-Mephisto incident. His persistence was proving worthwhile.

Coulson left, face etched with the urgency of his report. The news he carried wasn't just about Russell's run-in with Mephisto, but a darker insinuation of Hydra infiltration within SHIELD.

"Hydra's shadow in SHIELD… Is it possible?" Nick Fury pondered as he sifted through the rising tide of suspicion.

His thoughts raced, especially considering Dr. Pym's troubling confession and the unsettling ambush involving Hope. Even Howard Stark's death didn't seem so coincidental in light of these events.

Within SHIELD, Fury questioned the loyalty of every agent, seeing Hydra everywhere he turned.

"Who can I trust?" Fury muttered, before his gaze fell upon the folder titled "Avengers," his mind clicking into a more strategic gear.

Meanwhile, at Russell's bookstore, Gwen couldn't hold back the question that had been weighing on her mind: "Is Helen in hell too?"

Russell's eyes softened with sympathy. "There are many hell dimensions. Helen's soul isn't trapped in the one ruled by Mephisto." He added, more carefully, "The hell corresponding to Earth-65 isn't Mephisto's domain."

Gwen's eyes brightened with hope. "So we can rescue her soul from another hell dimension?"

Russell nodded, confirming her suspicion. "If we can locate the coordinates, it's possible."

Russell didn't reveal the complexities of what would happen afterward. A rescue was only part of the equation.

Tony Stark's curiosity, as always, lingered, but before more could be said, Eileen approached the counter, her curiosity piqued as she noticed Russell.

"Russell, I haven't seen you around the bookstore lately. What's going on?"

Russell, caught off guard, tried to dismiss her question. "Nothing for you to worry about, kid."

Eileen, clearly not satisfied, crossed her arms. "Come on, I know something's up. You're a mage, right? Have you been off saving the world?"

Russell didn't flinch, though inwardly, he almost smiled at her sharpness. "Not quite. I'm just keeping busy with... other matters."

"I see." Eileen didn't buy it, and she was clever enough to keep her suspicions to herself.

"Anyway, don't think I didn't catch on," she added quietly. "You've got that connection to the wizard with the bald head, right?"

Russell stiffened slightly but didn't respond. Eileen had already pieced it together: Russell, Spider-Man, and the mysterious figure she had seen around town were all connected in some way.

"By the way, Russell, let me ask you something," Eileen continued, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Which do you prefer—Wizard or Spider-Man?"

Russell raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure how those two go together."

"Well, last Halloween, you dressed as a wizard, but Spider-Man saved me from a vampire, and that bald wizard fixed my vampire flaws," Eileen explained, her smile sly and satisfied. "So, I want both."

Russell chuckled despite himself, a little surprised by Eileen's frankness.

"Wizard Spider-Man," she stated firmly, a grin on her face.

Russell rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "How does one even merge those two? A wizard is a wizard, and Spider-Man is Spider-Man."

"Why not?" Eileen said with a shrug, her gaze drifting toward the sky as if considering the infinite possibilities of her own invention. "Okay, I gotta run. Catch you later, Russell. Bye, Gwen!"

"Goodbye, Erin," both of them replied in unison, though their eyes lingered on her retreating form, noting the odd bulge in her schoolbag.

Once Eileen had left, Gwen broke the silence, her voice a little cooler than usual. "You know, I think Erin might be hiding something."

Russell turned to Gwen, his brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

Gwen hesitated, then added, "Her shoes. The soles are worn in a way that doesn't make sense for just regular walking. Something's off."

Russell thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement. "We should follow her tonight. See where she's going."

As the evening descended, Russell and Gwen shadowed Eileen. They found her on the rooftops, dressed in a costume that mirrored both Spider-Man and a wizard. But this wasn't just a costume. Eileen had clearly embraced her new identity, a hero of her own making.

Perched on a rooftop, she met Matt Murdock, Daredevil, who had been waiting to train her. Matt's voice was calm but firm.

"Irene, if you want to be a hero, you need to understand the weight it carries. Are you ready?"

Irene, or rather Eileen, nodded with resolve. This wasn't a mere whim. She had been thinking about this decision for months, considering the responsibility and the consequences.

"I'm ready," she said, her voice steady, betraying none of the uncertainty she might have felt inside.

Russell and Gwen watched from a distance, concern growing within them. They were relieved that Eileen hadn't gone astray, but the weight of responsibility she was about to bear was not lost on them. She was still young, and the world she was stepping into was unforgiving.

Russell sighed, touching his chin thoughtfully. "I am the Wizard Spider-Man..."

And in that moment, he understood that the line between duty and destiny was far thinner than anyone realized.

...

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