Chapter 36: Barbara Joins the Club! They're All Veteran Drivers!
"Ms. Morse."
Ethan Lee casually put away the playing cards. "Tell me your real name."
Barbara's heart skipped a beat, but she kept her expression calm. "My name is Hill. Hill Morse. My grandmother gave it to me."
=_=
Ethan was speechless.
You used that name to impersonate someone… and Hill knows about it. You must have some personal grudge against each other.
"This was an agreed bet," he reminded her. "The loser has to answer a question honestly."
"You were the one who suggested it, Ms. Morse."
Ethan straightened his slightly wrinkled cuffs. "If you're unwilling to honor the bet, then the game ends here."
Barbara hesitated.
Damn it, what is going on?
Even a professional psychologist shouldn't be able to see through my disguise so easily.
Why does it feel like he's seeing right through me?
She couldn't explain it.
What she didn't know was that Ethan had already figured her out.
His enhanced super-spider senses also gave him a mild ability to detect lies. Combined with the accidental electrotherapy experiment back at Cindy's house, Ethan was starting to think he might have a future as a top-tier psychotherapist.
Barbara's instincts told her she had to make a choice.
"Alright…" she relented. "My real name is Barbara Morse."
If my alias is already compromised, it's better to be flexible than stubborn.
There's a risk my mission might fail, but if I play my cards right, I can still rebuild trust.
And even if the mission fails… SHIELD isn't the kind of organization that eliminates its agents just for messing up.
To her surprise, Ethan didn't press further.
Instead, he simply nodded. "Very good."
Then, as if her deception no longer mattered, he added, "You said you wanted to join the club? I welcome it."
Even if Barbara, aka Mockingbird, wasn't here, there would probably be a Black Widow next time.
He might as well train this SHIELD agent properly while she was here.
"Ooooh! Big news!"
Ned suddenly yelled, eyes glued to his phone.
"Latest update from the forums: Flash Thompson got wrecked by the Lizard!"
As Peter's best friend, Ned had no problem watching Thompson suffer.
Ethan glanced over, made a few quick adjustments, and suddenly, the club's big screen lit up with the latest forum posts.
Several newly uploaded videos played from different angles, showcasing Thompson's humiliation in stunning clarity.
New Yorkers truly had a knack for catching drama live.
And Midtown High's students? Even better.
They had front-row seats to all the action.
The comment section was on fire.
Passerby: Didn't expect Thompson to be such a coward. Big guy, lying on the ground barking like a dog.
Football fans: Yelling at the Lizard to kill his girlfriend? Not cool, bro. Used to be a fan…
Spider-Man fans: Ghost Spider shows up, and the Lizard bolts! Who said she's weaker than Spider-Man?
And then—
Anonymous: Liz, was it really necessary to deep-throat a lizard's tail?
That last one was definitely from a classmate who didn't get along with Liz.
Ned cackled as he grabbed the remote from the bar, rewinding the video to the most humiliating moment.
The screen played a slowed-down replay of the Lizard's tail being pulled out of Liz's throat—along with some unholy amounts of spit.
Several girls watching shuddered.
Barbara raised an eyebrow. She had definitely seen worse.
Ned wiped away a fake tear. "Man, what a disgrace. Liz really got played by that Lizard."
Mary Jane frowned. "Ned, enough. Stop replaying that scene. This is a club, not your personal meme factory."
Skye, sitting next to Ethan, shifted slightly.
Ethan smirked and leaned in, resting a hand on her shoulder. His fingers lightly trailed along her neck.
He whispered, "Wanna try something~?"
Gwen was already an expert.
But Skye?
He hadn't tested the waters with her yet.
Judging by the way she kissed—just as passionate as Gwen—he knew she'd be just as good…
Skye hesitated, biting her lip.
She glanced at Ethan's expectant expression.
After a moment's pause, she swallowed and whispered, "Maybe…"
That was all he needed.
The heat in her gaze, the way she licked her lips—yeah, she was into it.
Ethan stood up, pulling her along.
"I'm taking Skye to the training ground," he announced smoothly. "Got some things to handle."
Then, turning to Mary Jane, he added, "Jane, keep Barbara company. I think she's got leadership potential for the club."
Mary Jane winked, smirking. "I got you. You two go… 'train.'"
Ned's ears perked up. "Hey, since the vice prez is gone, let's play some games, Jane! I'm great at cards—"
Mary Jane's smile vanished.
"Go away."
She hadn't forgotten the time Ned yelled at her over his broken phone.
Revenge was sweet.