CH: 007 - Bumping Into The Pyro John

{Chapter: 007 - Bumping Into The Pyro John}

"You have an ability?" Daisy's voice carried a mix of curiosity and concern as she gazed at Aiden.

Aiden leaned back against the bed, smirking slightly. "Yeah. You know that this world is full of people with extraordinary powers—like the X-Men. But me? I'm not a mutant. My ability is... unique. I can absorb the energy of superpowered beings and make it my own. No side effects, no drawbacks. Just pure power. A few days ago, I absorbed Extremis. That's why SHIELD is sniffing around me."

Daisy's eyes widened. "Wait... you absorbed Extremis? And you're fine? No overheating? No explosions?"

Aiden chuckled. "Perfectly fine. Better than fine, actually. But that's the problem. When SHIELD found out I had no past, no identity, and an ability like this, they started getting suspicious."

Daisy's brows furrowed as she put the pieces together. "So... they think you're dangerous. And knowing SHIELD, they won't just let you walk around freely. If they can't control you, they'll try to contain you. No… I won't let them take you away…" Her voice was firm, protective, almost possessive.

Before Aiden could reply, she grabbed her laptop and started typing rapidly.

"What are you doing?" he asked, amused by her sudden determination.

"Wiping your digital footprint. Scrubbing all records of you from the past few days. If they can't track you, they can't find you." Her fingers danced over the keyboard at a speed that would make most hackers jealous.

Aiden reached over and gently covered her hands with his. "Wait a minute..."

Daisy looked up, misunderstanding his hesitation. "Trust me, I can do this. I'm the best at what I do."

Aiden smiled, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I believe in you. But there's no need. I already told Black Widow I wouldn't hide. For now, SHIELD won't act. And even if they do come after me..." He leaned in, his lips barely inches from hers. "It won't be that easy to take me down."

Daisy swallowed hard, feeling the heat between them. "You're too confident, you know that?"

Aiden smirked. "I prefer to call it well-earned arrogance."

Daisy huffed, closing her laptop. "Fine. But we still shouldn't stay here for too long. Even if SHIELD isn't making a move now, I don't like the idea of being constantly watched."

"You're right. Then… let's go."

Leaving the hotel, Aiden followed Daisy to where their cars were parked. But instead of heading to his own, he went straight to hers.

Daisy blinked. "Wait, what about your car?"

Aiden leaned against her driver's door and shot her a cocky grin. "You told me this car is your home, right? And since I'm your boyfriend, my place is with you. That means this car is my home too now."

Daisy rolled her eyes but couldn't hide the pink dusting her cheeks. "You're impossible."

Aiden stepped closer, tilting her chin up gently. "And yet, you love it."

She bit her lip, torn between smacking him and kissing him.

In the end, she just sighed. "Fine, but you're driving."

---

A Life on the Road, Together

Traveling from one place to another was nothing new for Daisy. She was used to it. But this time, it was different. This time, she wasn't alone.

This time, she had Aiden.

It didn't take long for their relationship to settle into a comfortable rhythm. Holding hands came naturally. Random kisses became routine. At night, when they curled up together in the back of the car, there was no awkwardness—only warmth. The space wasn't huge, but it didn't matter. It gave them an excuse to press close, to tangle limbs, to whisper in the dark.

Nothing more had happened—yet—but the electricity between them crackled like a storm waiting to break.

"You know," Aiden murmured one night as Daisy rested her head against his chest, "if I knew traveling with you would be like this, I would've found you sooner."

Daisy smirked, tracing circles on his arm. "Oh? And what's so special about traveling with me?"

Aiden shifted, rolling so that he was above her, eyes dark with something dangerous and thrilling. "Everything."

Daisy's breath hitched. "Sweet talker."

He leaned in, brushing his lips against hers before pulling back just enough to tease. "You love that too."

She grabbed his shirt and yanked him down, silencing him with a kiss.

---

The next morning, Aiden browsed his phone while Daisy drove. "Looks like there's a highly-rated restaurant nearby. Wanna check it out?"

Daisy glanced over and smiled. "Good food and good company? How could I say no?"

Pulling up to the restaurant, she handed him the keys. "You go inside and grab us a table. I'll park."

Aiden gave her a lingering look. "Hurry back, beautiful. I'll be waiting."

Daisy rolled her eyes with a smile. "You're such a flirt."

He winked. "And you love that most of all."

She shook her head, watching him walk inside, her heart already racing.

Yeah… she really did.

---

As Aiden stepped out of the car, ready to find them a seat inside the restaurant, fate decided to throw in a little entertainment. Just as he was stepping through the entrance, another person was walking out in a hurry. The two collided—but only one of them was affected.

Aiden, with his Extremis-enhanced body, didn't even flinch. Meanwhile, the other man stumbled several steps back, nearly tripping over himself.

"The hell is wrong with you?!" the man snapped before Aiden could say a word. "Are you blind, or just looking for a beating?"

Aiden's brow twitched slightly in irritation.

"You clumsy fool, I'm talking to you! Say something!"

Aiden exhaled slowly, his lips curling into a smirk as he crossed his arms. "Kid, if anyone's blind here, it's not me—it's you."

The man's expression twisted into a sneer. "Oh? So you are looking for trouble."

"Aiden, baby, what's going on?"

At the sound of Daisy's voice, Aiden's smirk softened into something else—something playful. He turned his head just in time to see her striding toward him, concern flickering in those sharp eyes of hers.

"Nothing to worry about, sweetheart," Aiden reassured her, his voice warm. "You did say you haven't seen my abilities in action yet, right? Well…" His gaze flicked back to the man, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Looks like the opportunity just presented itself."

The man scoffed, cracking his knuckles. "Tch. There are too many people here. Let's take this somewhere more… private."

"Just what I was thinking," Aiden said smoothly, tilting his head toward the alley next to the restaurant.

"Aiden…" Daisy's voice was tinged with warning as she reached for his arm. He turned to her, gently tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Relax, babe. Just need to teach someone some manners."

She huffed, but the way her fingers tightened around his wrist betrayed her worry. "At least let me check something first."

Aiden watched as she swiftly pulled out her phone and started searching. A second later, her eyes widened.

As they entered the alley, a confined space littered with discarded boxes and dimly lit by a flickering street lamp. Pyro stood confidently at the far end, spinning his lighter between his fingers like a seasoned gunslinger preparing for a duel.

"Dear, be careful," she whispered urgently. "He's John Allerdyce—a Mutant."

Aiden blinked, surprised. "John Allerdyce? You mean Pyro?"

John grinned, flicking open a lighter and letting a small flame flicker to life. "Oh, so you do know me. Too bad it won't save you." His smirk darkened as he eyed Daisy up and down. "And your girl? Not bad. Maybe I'll take her as compensation after I burn you to a crisp."

Daisy's grip on Aiden's wrist tightened, but before she could react, Aiden let out a low chuckle.

"Oh, man… you really just sealed your fate," he said, his golden eyes gleaming with something almost predatory.

The flames from Pyro's lighter suddenly burst outward, swirling around his hands as he demonstrated his ability. The fire curled and twisted, forming fiery tendrils at his command. "Say your prayers, dumbass."

Aiden simply tilted his head, watching the flames dance. Then, his lips curled into a slow, almost lazy smirk.

"Interesting," he murmured, more to himself than to Pyro.

Aiden's lips curled into a slow, knowing smirk. Fate had a funny way of working things out. He hadn't actively sought out new abilities in a while—mostly because of SHIELD's watchful eye and Daisy's constant distractions—but now, standing before him, was an unexpected donor practically offering himself up on a silver platter.

John Allerdyce—better known as Pyro—was a well-known figure in mutant circles. Once a student at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, he had turned his back on heroism to join Magneto's Brotherhood. His power? Absolute control over fire. He could manipulate existing flames, expand them, shape them into any form he desired. But his greatest weakness? He couldn't generate fire on his own—hence the ever-present lighter in his hand.

For Aiden, Pyro's ability was a perfect complement to his own. Thanks to Extremis, Aiden could already produce immense heat, pushing his body to volcanic temperatures. He could even generate small flames, but nothing beyond the size of a flickering candle—and certainly not with the finesse of a true pyrokinetic. Originally, his plan had been to track down Chan Ho Yin, a Hong Kong street magician.

Chan Ho Yin possessed a rare gift—the ability to summon and manipulate flames, though only in small, controlled bursts. As a street magician, his pyrokinesis was nothing more than a flashy trick to dazzle crowds. But everything changed when he was injected with the experimental Centipede Serum. The serum pushed his abilities to terrifying new heights, transforming him into Scorch—a living inferno capable of unleashing searing torrents of fire. His flames could incinerate flesh in an instant, burn holes straight through bone, and reduce a person to nothing but ash with a single concentrated blast.

Aiden had always kept an eye on Chan Ho Yin. His creation ability was the missing piece to Aiden's arsenal. Fire could no longer harm him—Extremis made sure of that. His body could withstand heat that would melt steel, and his regeneration was near instantaneous. But generating fire at will? That was a power worth taking.

However, fate had thrown a new opportunity at his feet.

Pyro.

If he could claim John Allerdyce's mastery over fire—his ability to shape and control flames with absolute precision—then Aiden's power would ascend to an entirely new level. With the ability to both create and manipulate fire, he would be just a step below Johnny Storm, the Human Torch himself who could go Supernova.

Aiden's lips curled into a predatory grin as he stared at Pyro, his golden eyes gleaming with dark amusement.

"John Allerdyce, you absolute fool. You came looking for a fight… but all you've done is hand me your power on a silver platter."

With a quiet chuckle, he flexed his fingers, anticipation thrumming in his veins.

"Kiss your days as a mutant goodbye."