Chapter — Scarlet Questions, Devil's Dilemma, and Fury's Files
The dance with Natasha Romanoff wasn't just a dance—it was a battle of glances, questions, and unspoken truths. Her body moved with trained precision, hips swaying just enough to play innocent, eyes locked onto mine like a sniper targeting a kill shot.
"Death, huh?" she whispered, close enough that I could smell the faint trace of perfume and danger. "You expect me to believe that?"
I smirked, spinning her gently under the dim crimson lights of Lux, the club still recovering from gunfire and broken dreams. "Doesn't matter if you believe me, sweetheart. You'll see soon enough."
Her grip tightened on my shoulder, playful but laced with hidden blades—figurative and literal, knowing Natasha. "People like you… they don't just walk into my world unnoticed. You're not on SHIELD's radar, not in Fury's files… yet here you are."
"Fury?" I chuckled, tilting my head. "He's still reading those old files? I'd be worried if I didn't know how bad SHIELD's database is."
Her eyes narrowed. "So you know him."
"Know him? Darling, I've been pulling strings behind his curtain longer than you've been playing spy." I winked. "He thinks I'm a mutant. Or maybe an alien. Probably has a top-secret folder labeled 'Potential Cosmic Threat' with my face plastered on page one."
She paused, curiosity burning like wildfire. "Are you?"
"Threat? Always." I leaned in, whispering next to her ear, "Cosmic? More than you can handle."
A flash of movement to our side—Lucifer, fuming, trying to regain control of the room. His club, his rules—until I walked in and bent the laws of life and death like cheap plastic.
"Excuse me," I muttered to Natasha, releasing her as the song faded. She didn't follow immediately—she was processing, calculating, filing away every detail for later.
I approached Lucifer, who stood by the bar, drink untouched, rage barely hidden behind that charming facade.
"You've made quite the mess," he hissed, voice low. "My club, my people… my singer."
I shrugged, grabbing a glass of whiskey from the counter. "Relax, Luci. She's not gone. Just… pending."
He seethed. "You don't get to rewrite my territory."
I downed the whiskey in one gulp, savoring the burn. "I'm not rewriting. I'm updating. Death 2.0, remember?"
Lucifer exhaled slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "This isn't over, Daniel."
"It never is," I replied coolly, walking away.
Behind me, Natasha was already pulling out a discreet SHIELD communicator, whispering fast into the mic. I caught fragments—"Unknown enhanced… not listed… possibly mutant… potential threat… need Fury."
I smirked. Perfect.
Later That Night — Back at the Hotel
The suite was luxury incarnate—penthouse views of the city skyline, silk sheets, a bar stocked with the finest spirits money could buy.
But I was alone. For now.
Dropping onto the plush leather couch, I flicked my fingers, conjuring the Death's Manual, its pages glowing faintly with otherworldly power. Skimming through the next scheduled souls, I paused—Marvel Universe: Upcoming Extraction — High-Profile Target.
Fury's name danced dangerously close to the list's top.
A knock on the door interrupted my thoughts.
I didn't need to ask who.
"Come in, Gabriel," I called.
The archangel entered, ditching his celestial glow for a black hoodie and designer sneakers—trying to blend in. He tossed me a beer, settling across from me.
"Fury's poking around," Gabriel said casually. "Natasha reported you. He's curious."
I chuckled, cracking the beer open. "Curious is good. Keeps things interesting."
Gabriel smirked. "He thinks you're a mutant."
"Let him."
A pause.
"You're pushing buttons again, Daniel," Gabriel warned. "First Lucifer, now SHIELD… next thing you know, the Avengers are knocking."
"Good," I grinned, eyes gleaming. "I could use the entertainment."
Gabriel leaned back, sipping his drink, watching me with equal parts amusement and caution. "You're loving this, aren't you?"
"Being Death has perks." I gestured to the skyline, the city shimmering below. "But chaos? That's where I thrive."
Outside, the night pulsed with promise—questions unanswered, threats brewing, destiny unraveling.
And me? I was just getting started.