Marvel: The Infinite Crown

{Chapter: 152 - Stormborn}

While SHIELD agents were sweeping the entire Academy grounds in an organized search, deploying drones and thermal sensors, two fugitives remained hidden in the least expected location—an abandoned parking structure just north of the Academy's main science building. The structure had fallen into disuse after recent renovations redirected foot traffic, making it the perfect hideout for two desperate men.

Inside the dim, cold shadows of the lower level, Seth paced nervously while Donnie Gill—once a bright student, now a reluctant accomplice—sat beside a bulky, ominous-looking machine. Its surface was slick with condensation, as if the very air around it feared what it might become. This wasn't just a device that made ice. No, after recent modifications, the machine had been altered to manipulate atmospheric pressure and localized climate systems. It could now control the weather.

Donnie stared at it with dread, every nerve in his body screaming to walk away. "Seth… we shouldn't be doing this," he muttered, rubbing his arms against the rising chill.

But Seth was distracted. He had his phone out, pacing, speaking in hushed tones. "Yeah. It's ready. We need an extraction now—ASAP. SHIELD's crawling all over the place," he said into the receiver. "Yes, Quinn. It works. This thing could freeze a city block in under a minute if we push it. Just send the chopper."

His tone made it clear he wasn't asking for help—he was counting on a deal. The man on the other end of the line was none other than the men of Ian Quinn, the billionaire industrialist with a taste for exotic technology and a talent for shady acquisitions. Quinn had once stolen Dr. Hall's gravitational research, but what they didn't know was that Quinn is already dead and it was someone else using his name and now he wanted weather manipulation added to his black market portfolio.

As soon as the call ended, however, the man gave a different order.

"Forget them," he told his pilot with a bored expression, swirling a glass of brandy. "They served their purpose. No need to risk anything. Head back to Malta."

Meanwhile, Seth slipped his phone into his pocket with a crooked smile. "Extraction's on its way. All we have to do is prove this thing works."

Donnie's brow furrowed. "You're sure? Quinn's not exactly known for keeping promises."

Seth leaned in, voice low and edged. "Do you want to end up in a SHIELD interrogation room? Do you want to be forgotten behind bars while they disassemble your life's work? This is our ticket out, Donnie. We show Quinn results, and he'll make us untouchable."

Donnie still hesitated. His fingers hovered above the activation switch like they were holding a loaded gun. "We haven't tested it… We don't know the limits. What if we—what if someone dies?"

Seth's eyes narrowed. "Turn it on. Now."

With trembling hands and a hollow heart, Donnie complied.

The machine came alive with a low hum, blue lights pulsing from within like a heartbeat. As its systems engaged, the temperature dropped sharply. Within seconds, the world changed.

The once-clear sky above darkened unnaturally, as if swallowed by a growing storm. Clouds gathered with alarming speed, twisting into furious spirals. A bone-chilling wind whipped through the parking lot, and then, without warning, hail the size of fists pounded the pavement. Glass shattered. Metal groaned. The world seemed to scream in protest.

Seth and Donnie dove into the car they'd parked nearby. But the thin roof offered little protection. A massive hailstone smashed the windshield, sending spiderweb cracks across the glass and showering the two with shards.

"This is insane!" Donnie shouted over the roaring wind, clutching the door handle.

Seth, equally shaken but refusing to show it, barked, "Don't forget what Quinn asked for! If this works, we're talking millions—maybe more! Do you have any idea what this tech means?"

"If we're dead, it means nothing!" Donnie snapped back. "No payday is worth this!"

Seth clenched his jaw but said nothing. For the first time, he looked outside—not with arrogance, but with fear. Hail battered the earth like judgment from above. The sky churned with unnatural fury. And then… lightning.

A blinding bolt cracked the sky and struck Seth directly. The car rocked as he was hurled backward, his body slamming against the hood before rolling to the ground in a smoking heap.

"Seth!" Donnie screamed, stumbling out into the chaos. He barely reached the device when another bolt struck the nearby pavement, tossing him aside like a ragdoll.

Donnie's hands were on the device and was injured but luckily he was thrown away.

Looking at the device that was hit, Donnie shouted at Seth to leave here as soon as possible but he did not hear any response at all.

Donnie's hands were scorched. His vision swam.

Somewhere in the madness, a new sound emerged—something subtle, like air being displaced by power.

Donnie groaned, crawling through the slush, only to freeze in place when he saw him.

A figure descended from the sky, suspended not by technology but by command. He wore a dark tactical uniform etched with the SHIELD insignia. Around him, icy wind danced in perfect formation, obeying rather than assaulting him. The storm bent to his will.

Agent Aiden.

Donnie recognized him instantly. He had seen the agent during his time at the Academy, always watching, always a few steps ahead. Whether through training or some other means, this man had presence—and power.

Donnie raised a shaking hand. "Help! He's hurt! Seth—he's not moving!"

Aiden's eyes narrowed as he scanned the scene. With a wave of his hand, a glowing construct formed—something like a containment shell made of hard green light. It wrapped around Donnie and the unconscious Seth like a protective cocoon, shielding them from the weather.

"Hold tight," Aiden said calmly, voice cutting through the storm like a blade. "Extraction is inbound. You're not dying today."

As Aiden lifted into the sky, taking both fugitives with him, the device below sparked wildly. The storm continued to rage, but it was no longer wild—it was angry, as if resenting the theft of its chosen vessels.

High above the chaos, aboard a cloaked SHIELD Quinjet, Agent Melinda May waited in the cockpit.

"Visual acquired," she said, watching the feed. "He's got them."

Phil Coulson's voice crackled over comms. "Tell Aiden to secure the device if it's still intact. We need to know exactly what they built. And May… get those kids."

The storm began to die.

But this was only the beginning.

---

The moment Aiden stepped onto the SHIELD Bus, a hush fell over the usually bustling mobile command unit. Agents turned toward him, and more importantly, toward the injured young man carried beside him—Seth. Jemma immediately rushed forward with a medical kit in hand, her eyes flicking between Aiden and the motionless body.

"Over here! Get him on the table now!" Jemma barked, snapping on her gloves as she began assessing the damage. Her voice, usually calm and polite, had an edge of urgency. Daisy followed closely behind, her brows furrowed with concern.

Donnie stood frozen near the doorway, his face pale, guilt-ridden, eyes darting back and forth between Seth and the medic team.

Aiden stayed silent, folding his arms as he watched. But after just a few minutes, Simmons looked up and gave a slight shake of her head. Her voice dropped.

"He's gone."

The room seemed to exhale collectively, as though hope had deflated. Donnie collapsed onto a bench, staring at his hands like they were foreign objects.

"He... he was my friend," Donnie whispered.

Aiden knelt beside him, his tone unusually soft. "I know. He mattered to you. And believe it or not... You didn't matter to him."

Daisy placed a hand gently on Donnie's shoulder. "You tried. That storm—it wasn't normal. No one could've predicted it."

Aiden looked up, meeting Daisy's gaze. There was a subtle smile there—not one of amusement, but something deeper. "And you, Dear," he said, his voice smooth, teasing, "Are you always this good with calming storms? Or is it just the cute scientists you're trying to rescue?"

Daisy arched an eyebrow. "Depends on the scientist."

Jemma chuckled under her breath as she began cleaning up the medical area. Aiden rose and stepped toward her.

"Dr. Simmons," he said, leaning casually against the metal wall near her. "Every time I see you, you seem to be saving a life. Must be exhausting... being so brilliant all the time."

Jemma turned a little pink. "You're just trying to distract me from the fact that you're hiding something."

"Guilty," Aiden said with a wink. "But I promise it's all in the interest of global safety... and maybe getting to hear your laugh again."

Daisy rolled her eyes. "He's shameless."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Aiden quipped.

As the atmosphere lightened for a moment, Coulson entered the room with May close behind. His presence instantly grounded the mood again.

"We're landing soon," Coulson announced. "Other teams are converging on the ground. Donnie will be taken into protective custody."

Donnie's shoulders sagged. He didn't argue.

Aiden watched him with subtle interest. 'They think he's the threat... typical. But it's not Donnie, not really. It's what he's becoming.'

He recalled the moment the lightning hit the device. Donnie's hand was still on the device, and Aiden had seen the shimmer of energy ripple through the boy's veins. Something changed. Not instantly, not obviously, but enough to make Aiden consider the future.

'He won't be the same. Not after this.'

Because Aiden had seen the signs before. Mutation. Transformation.

The origins were classic comic-book fodder: freak storm, high tech, overloaded power grid. But the results? Deadly. Donnie wasn't a villain yet, but the path was opening before him like a red carpet soaked in frost.

He would become Blizzard.

Not the armoured villain from the comic panels with tech-powered cryo-suits. Not this time. No. This Donnie would be different in this continuity. His power came from within. The lightning had rewritten something in his cellular structure. His ability to manipulate air moisture and flash-freeze surfaces wasn't as strong as Iceman, sure—but still potent. Still dangerous.

And it would only grow stronger with time.

Later, while the others focused on prepping Donnie for transfer, Aiden excused himself and retreated to his personal quarters. Inside, he activated a private comm line. Blink answered in seconds.

"Hello, Boss."

"How's Dr. Curt?"

"Still playing nice in the lab. Eating all the snacks, though."

"Good. I need him ready. There's a job."

He laid out the plan: Curt, in his Lizard form, would stage a diversionary attack. Blink would provide teleportation. The goal was simple—keep Donnie from ever making it to SHIELD's long-term detention. Wait for the moment SHIELD's guard is down, maybe even collapse from within. And then extract him.

Aiden knew Coulson was smart. But even he couldn't watch every shadow.

Back on the Bus, as they watched the SHIELD convoy drive away with Donnie, Phil Coulson approached Aiden.

"There's something I need to talk to you about," Phil said quietly.

Aiden noticed his glance flicker toward Daisy.

He nodded. "Of course."

May narrowed her eyes slightly but said nothing. She stayed close, as usual, silent but ever-watchful.

As they walked off, Daisy called out. "Hey, Aiden."

He turned. "Yeah?"

Her tone softened. "Be careful. You might flirt your way into trouble."

He smirked. "Darling, I've been living there for you."

As he disappeared into the hallway with Coulson, both Jemma and Daisy exchanged glances. Something told them this wasn't the last time they'd be dealing with Aiden's secrets.

And maybe... not the last time he'd charm his way right into their hearts.

Aiden noticed Phil quietly moving towards Daisy and Aiden's eyebrows raised. It seems whatever he wanted to say is related to Daisy.

It should be…About Daisy's past.

*****

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