His first goal was a security analysis.
Guards: At least four stationed outside at any given time, dressed in sleek but tactical suits. They weren't your average club bouncers—these men carried themselves like trained professionals.
Cameras: He spotted three visible cameras monitoring the entrance, but there were likely dozens maybe more hidden ones.
Entry Points: The main entrance was the only obvious way in. There were side alleys, but they had no clear doors, which meant secondary access points were probably either on the rooftops, underground, or both.
His second goal was confirming Sage's presence.
'If she's inside, I can move forward with my plan. If she isn't? Well, that would be a problem. She's undercover as Shaw's secretary, so if I can't confirm her location find his will work also.'
Ethan ducked into a nearby café with an outdoor terrace, choosing a seat with a clear view of the club. He pulled out a notebook—something normal enough that people wouldn't give him a second glance—and pretended to jot things down. In reality, he was watching and waiting.
An hour passed. Then another.
And finally—movement.
A sleek black limousine pulled up to the front gate. The gates opened and the limo drove all the way to the club building.
Ethan reached for his binoculars that he had brought on the off chance he might see Sage discreetly, lifting them just enough to get a clear view. He then saw the guards move into position as two women stepped out of the limo.
The first was a strikingly tall and elegant woman with platinum blonde hair, sharp features, and piercing blue eyes that exuded confidence and authority. She often wears a white corset-style bodysuit with a plunging neckline, a flowing white fur-lined cape, and knee-high boots, embodying a luxurious and commanding presence.
The second was a poised, athletic woman with ghostly-white skin tone, short, dark brown hair, and green eyes that conveyed intelligence and intensity. She wore a sleek black bodysuit with a high collar, fitted gloves, and combat-ready boots, all designed for both practicality and style, complementing her tech-savvy and tactical nature.
Ethan's pulse quickened.
Emma Frost and Sage.
[Ability Detected: Telepathy(Emma Frost) – A-Rank]
[Ability Detected: Diamond Form(Emma Frost) – D-Rank]
[Ability Detected: Supercomputer Mind(Sage) – E-Rank]
Ethan exhaled slowly, keeping his face carefully neutral. He had both Sage's and Emma Frost's abilities now. That was huge.
All the planning, the risk, setting up Spider-Man's raid—it was all useless now. He'd gotten what he wanted without needing to go through with it.
He reached for his bag, ready to leave the café, when his instincts screamed danger.
Two men in black suits blocked the doorway.
They were dressed exactly like the guards at the Hellfire Club. Their stances were firm, their hands resting near their holsters—subtle, but menacing.
One of them spoke, his tone flat and authoritative.
"Kid you need to come with us. Now."
Ethan's eyes flicked toward the exit. His heart pounded. Run or play along? What was the best play at this moment?
The second guard stepped forward. Ethan didn't answer fast enough—they grabbed him.
Before he could make a move, they were dragging him out of the café.
People noticed, but no one did anything. No one wanted to get involved with men like these.
They pulled him past the Hellfire Club's gates. Too fast. Too professional.
They don't want to make a scene, Ethan realized. That means they don't want this to get back to the police as that would be a headache for the club. That was good—it meant they weren't killing him on the spot. But it also meant they had plans for him.
Inside the building, they pushed him into a luxurious lounge and forced him into a chair. Two guards stood at either side of him, arms crossed. The room smelled of expensive leather and aged whiskey.
Ethan barely had time to process before someone else entered.
Emma Frost.
She strolled into the room, elegant and completely in control.
Ethan immediately put two and two together.
Someone saw him watching. Then that someone reported it and now Emma was here to read his mind. His blood went cold. If Emma read his mind, it was over.
Ethan had seconds to act.
If Emma Frost got even a glimpse of the knowledge inside his head; the future, what he knew about her, the Hellfire Club, mutant history, the Marvel Universe history then she would never let him go.
Ever.
She would use him or kill him. Niether of which he found pleasing.
There was only one way out of this.
[Will host install ability]
[Supercomputer Mind(Sage) – E-Rank]
[Yes/No]
'Yes'
[Ability Installed]
[Abilities:]
S-Rank: [N/A]
A-Rank: [N/A]
B-Rank: [N/A]
C-Rank: [N/A]
D-Rank: [N/A]
E-Rank: [Supercomputer Mind]
F-Rank: [N/A]
A sharp pressure then filled Ethan's skull as the ability activated. Immediately, his thoughts sharpened.
His processing speed skyrocketed. It was like his mind had changed from a book into an infinite library. His memory organized itself into perfect recall. Things that he couldn't remember before because they were deemed unimportant were now as clear as the most important memory. As he opened his eyes time slowed as his mind raced with every possible outcome that could unfold.
'The human mind is a system,' he realized. 'Telepathy works by interpreting signals. If I can control the signals, I can control what she sees.'
Ethan barely had time to adjust before Emma's piercing blue eyes locked onto his.
And then—her voice echoed inside his head.
"Who are you, really?"
Ethan felt the psychic probe pushing into his thoughts, searching, peeling away the makeshift layers of mental defenses that he just created like an onion. Emma's telepathy wasn't like some blunt force hammer—it was a scalpel. She could surgically extract information, shifting through thoughts, finding weaknesses.
He clenched his jaw, forcing himself to stay calm.
His supercomputer mind kicked into overdrive, processing her telepathic intrusion in real time. Since she was looking for memories he would create such a thing and leave it between the mental defenses and the library that was his mind.
Ethan then created random childhood memories that didn't exist. Fake struggles a troubled teen, confused about life. Surface-level thoughts about the hero of this universe. Things that every generic teen in high school should have.
Ethan could feel her peeling into the memories that he just fabricated.
If she went too deep she might realize that they were false and could possibly reach the real knowledge inside him.
'Don't resist. Just wait her out till she finishes watching that movie I made.'
Fighting Emma directly was a losing battle. She was an alpha-level telepath. He was just a kid with a mind like no other. But he didn't need to win. He just needed to wait till she finished.