In the Morning
Evan woke up suddenly, a sharp jolt hitting him as he remembered-he hadn't written his report yet! Panic surged through him. "Shadow Ninja!" he called out urgently.
One of his black-clad shadow ninjas appeared instantly, tilting its head in confusion. "???" it seemed to ask silently.
Evan sighed, trying to keep calm. "You're the warrior of the Shadow Kingdom, right? You can vanish and travel through shadows, right? Then writing a report should be easy for you! I've got to get ready for school-just handle the report for me."
The ninja blinked again, still puzzled but obediently moving toward his desk.
Evan hurried off, muttering to himself, "If you're the ultimate shadow warrior, this should be a piece of cake…"
Morning on Campus
The morning sun barely cut through the clouds as Evan and Ned strolled across the courtyard, their backpacks slung lazily over their shoulders. Ned flashed a mischievous grin at Evan.
"Morning, Evan. You look like you crawled out of a crypt," Ned teased, lowering his voice for dramatic effect. "Did you spend the night plotting world domination again?"
Evan smirked, matching Ned's dark humor. "Of course. I only rise for school and the occasional act of villainy."
Peter caught up with them, shaking his head with a smile. "Good morning, guys. You two are in a weirdly good mood today."
"Of course," Ned chimed in, "we're one day closer to the weekend. I've got big plans!"
Evan gave Ned a knowing look. "Just remember, safety first, Romeo."
The trio laughed as they split up for class.
---
In Class
Evan slid into his seat, only to find Tessa, his not-so-secret crush, already waiting for him with a sly smile.
"Good morning, Evan. Did you actually finish the report homework?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. Tessa knew Evan's homework habits-or lack thereof-better than anyone.
Evan grinned, fishing a paper from his bag with a flourish. "Prepare to be amazed. I stayed up late and finished it. You may now congratulate me."
Tessa's eyes widened in mock surprise. "You? Finished? I was so sure I'd have to lend you mine again."
Evan puffed up, feigning pride. "Who do you think I am, a slacker?"
Before Tessa could reply, Mr. Adrian's voice rang out. "Evan, hand over your report."
Evan strutted up to the front, handing over his paper with the confidence of a student who definitely did not have a shadow ninja do all the work.
Mr. Adrian gave it a quick glance. "Well, you actually did it this time. Good job."
Evan returned to his seat, grinning at Tessa. She rolled her eyes but smiled back.
"Are you free this weekend?" Tessa asked, her tone light. "I want to take you somewhere fun."
Evan nodded, putting on his best gentleman act. "For you, beautiful lady, I'll clear my schedule."
Tessa giggled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Thanks."
Just then, Mr. Adrian's voice boomed from the doorway. "Evan!"
Evan turned, startled. "Uh, yes, sir?"
"Come to the office. Now." Mr. Adrian's tone was all business, and he looked… not happy.
Tessa shot Evan a look. "What did you do this time?"
Evan shrugged, feigning innocence. "No idea. Maybe my report was too good."
---
In the Office
Mr. Adrian sat at his desk, holding Evan's report with a smirk. "Evan, your report is… very well written."
Evan tried to read his expression. "So… it's good?"
"It's not bad. In fact, it's so good, it's almost as if it was copied word-for-word from the internet," Mr. Adrian replied, eyebrows raised.
Evan's stomach dropped. "Seriously? The Shadow ninja just copy-pasted?"
"I'll give you a chance to write a new one by tomorrow," Mr. Adrian said, rubbing his temples.
"Understood," Evan mumbled, shuffling out of the office, feeling more like a shadow than ever.
---
Back in Class
Tessa noticed Evan's defeated look. "What happened?"
Evan explained, a little embarrassed.
Tessa laughed and pulled out her own report. "Lucky for you, I got bored and wrote an extra one about the science exhibition. You can have it."
Evan's eyes lit up. "You're a lifesaver! I owe you big time."
"Deal," Tessa said, handing over the paper.
---
Stark Industries
Tony Stark, now recovered, was already in his lab, pacing in front of a screen.
"J.A.R.V.I.S., any luck tracking down the stolen Arc Reactor?"
[Sir, the magnetic field disruption during the incident disabled most cameras. The only footage is from your suit's sensors.]
Tony watched the replay: after he passed out, a shadowy figure appeared, then Pepper and Agent Coulson. The masked thief ignored everyone and went straight for the Iron Monger wreckage.
Tony rubbed his forehead. "Whoever he is, he knew exactly what he wanted."
[Sir, there's a new theft report. A criminal claims that he was running away with a bag full of diamonds but he too was robbed by a man in black. Fast, agile, and vanished onto the rooftops.]
Tony's eyes narrowed. "J.A.R.V.I.S., keep an eye out for any news about those diamonds. And if anything else about this masked thief pops up, let me know immediately."
[Understood, sir.]
Just then, a message from Pepper appeared.
[After lunch, there's a press conference, Tony.]
Tony sighed. "Looks like I'm back in the spotlight. But this masked guy-he's not getting away."
---
Lunchtime at School
Peter spent the morning deep in thought. At lunch, he nudged Ned. "If you had superpowers, how would you make money?"
Ned didn't miss a beat. "Easy. Boxing. Or maybe a YouTube channel. Oh, and did you hear about the big incident last night?"
Peter shook his head. "What happened?"
"Something at Stark Industries. The area's blocked off. Bet it's on the news," Ned replied, eyes wide.
Soon, Evan and Tessa joined them too, the cafeteria buzzed with excitement. Ned, Peter, Evan, and Tessa sat together, trays loaded with food.
Ned pointed at the TV. "Look, the Stark Industries press conference is live!"
Peter took a bite. "Looks like something big's about to happen."
Evan grinned. "Ned, are you secretly a Stark fanboy?"
Ned shook his head. "No way! I'm just interested in his bank account."
On TV, Tony Stark stood at the podium. After a dramatic pause, he declared, "I am Iron Man."
Ned's jaw dropped. "He's Iron Man? That's insane!"
Peter blinked. "Who's Iron Man?"
Ned laughed. "The guy who's been fighting terrorists! He's awesome."
Tessa nudged Ned. "You sound like his number one fan."
"Absolutely," Ned replied.
Evan, meanwhile, watched the screen with a sly, secretive smile. Only he knew the real secret-he was the one who'd stolen the second-generation Arc Reactor, and his adventure was just beginning.
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A/N: If you like the fanfic please show your support. Throw some stones ;)