Marvel: Playing Iron Man, Falling In and Out of Love with Jinx

"We're all heading to Bilgewater, why would that be inconvenient?"

Elise lay across the ship's railing, making no attempt to hide her breathtaking beauty. Her left hand propped up her delicate chin, while the fingers of her right hand traced languid lines along the railing's edge.

Her eyes were half-lidded, her tone dripping with lazy charm.

Just from her posture, her tone, and an occasional flicker of her gaze, the entire deck of the Swordfish erupted with the sound of sharp intakes of breath. The crew aboard both ships stared at her with an intensity that bordered on fanaticism and worship.

It reminded Duke of the deranged stalker-fans from his past life.

"Does she not understand the meaning behind my words?"

Duke rolled his eyes discreetly. Elise was extremely dangerous. If he were alone, he could have forced her to her knees in submission right here and now, no hesitation, no mercy.

And if she resisted? He'd use Ebony to blow off her dainty spider legs.

But right now, he was saddled with a ship full of deadweight. Elise's charm magic could toy with ordinary people like puppets, whether seasoned sailors or ingenious scientists.

Only magic can counter magic.

That's why, of everyone on board, Duke was the only one who remained clear-headed.

And this spider woman clearly had her sights set on them.

Duke's fingers twitched slightly, ready to flip the table at a moment's notice. This woman was pushing her luck.

Unaware of Duke's inner turmoil, Elise remained leisurely amused, her gaze sweeping across the ship. To her, this entire crew looked like prime offerings, sacrifices for Vilemaw.

Of course, the more the merrier. Vilemaw, that lovely creature, never minded extra portions.

But what truly piqued Elise's interest was the possibility that there might be Piltover craftsmen aboard. If she could snag one or two and bring them back to Noxus, they'd be valuable bargaining chips with the Black Rose.

The Black Rose placed high value on Piltover artisans. After all, Noxus, with its scarce natural resources, prized conquest and self-made power above all.

Their culture fostered warriors in abundance, but skilled craftsmen were rare gems.

Most Noxian smiths were fine for forging swords, but when it came to precision engineering or intricate devices, they were woefully outmatched.

A Piltover craftsman? That would be worth a king's ransom.

Just as Elise was about to speak, her thoughts churning with potential plans, a thunderous boom echoed across the sea.

The blast startled both crews, and jolted Duke to full alert. Just dealing with Elise had already been a handful, what fresh hell was this?

Hauling around this group of liabilities was a massive burden. If he were alone, he would've already captured Elise and handed her over to the Blue Rose family back in Piltover, to be locked up in their private zoo as a tourist attraction.

Out here at sea, there were no buildings for Elise to anchor her webs to. And if she dared hide in a cargo hold? Duke would simply blow the entire ship apart with his railgun.

He wasn't looking for trouble, but he definitely wasn't afraid of it.

If it came down to a real fight, he'd bring out Ebony and Ivory and snap every one of her eight legs.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

More cannonfire shook the sea. Duke adjusted the settings on Edith's magical lens and scanned the horizon. A twin-masted brig was hurtling toward them at high speed.

One of its masts had been shattered, the hull scorched and torn. Smoke poured from gaping holes, yet it still sped across the water like a beast with nothing to lose.

"Pirate ship?"

Duke's brow furrowed as he noticed the skull-and-crossbones flag fluttering on the sails, but then relaxed.

This might be a perfect excuse to cut off his conversation with Elise.

He had no interest in this venomous woman.

Caitlyn wasn't better?

Orianna wasn't better?

Jinx wasn't better?

Any of them could be his, with a little effort. So why on earth would he bother with a giant spider?

Sure, Elise was stunning, voluptuous legs, a slender waist, a face to make kingdoms fall, but Duke wasn't some lovesick idiot. He wasn't going to sabotage himself.

BOOM!!

Another shell exploded midair. A dangerous tingling crept up Duke's spine, his instincts screaming. Without thinking, he raised his left hand.

Ebony appeared in his grip.

He squeezed the trigger.

BANG!

The incoming shell, not yet close to the Swordfish, was pierced mid-flight by Duke's bullet, and exploded in a fiery blast above the sea.

Shrapnel flew in every direction. Smoke and flames billowed out, staining the air in front of the Swordfish black.

"My apologies, my lady."

Duke lowered Ebony, flashing Elise a polite smile. "Did I startle you?"

Elise, still draped across the railing, didn't even flinch. "Please. I'm Noxian. It takes more than a little bang to shake me."

But her gaze was now fixed, not on Duke, but on the exquisitely crafted weapon in his hand.

That gun… was dangerous.

If she took a hit, even she might be incapacitated, or worse.

"Excuse me a moment, my lady."

Duke bowed slightly and pulled out Ivory to match. He moved toward the bow of the ship.

The twin-masted brig was drawing too close.

When Elise saw that Duke held not just one, but two weapons that could threaten her, all her thoughts of kidnapping Piltover artisans vanished instantly.

You've got to be kidding. One legendary-tier weapon was bad enough, he had two?

And just now, that midair cannon shot? Duke hadn't even looked. He relied entirely on experience and instinct, and neutralized it with a single shot.

This wasn't someone you crossed lightly.

This was a veteran gunslinger armed to the teeth with legendary weapons. His combat instincts were top-tier.

And they were at sea, her weakest battleground.

Her offerings were still intact, Vilemaw would punish her if she messed this up.

Elise was greedy, yes, but she wasn't stupid.

Sometimes, retreat is the smarter play.

Rising from the railing, Elise pulled up her hood once more and called out to her crew:

"Back away from the Piltover ship! Find the right angle and prepare to fire. No collateral damage!"

Duke paused, slightly surprised. He glanced back at Elise.

His internal alert level for her jumped again.

She wasn't blinded by short-term gain, and she could read the battlefield clearly. That kind of person was always trouble.

Even though Duke didn't know why Elise had approached them in the first place, one thing was now clear: no matter what happened next, he had to stay sharp.

She was centuries old.

And centuries of accumulated experience didn't lie.

As Elise's attention pulled away from the Swordfish, Duke's crew seemed to awaken from a trance, like dreamers startled awake.

But if they crossed paths with her again?

They'd be charmed all over again.

Because once you're affected by Elise's magic, even once, a seed is planted.

After that, one look is all it takes.

"Everyone, snap out of it. We've got a rough fight ahead!"

Captain List slapped himself hard, twice, to shake off the lingering fog. His cheeks reddened. Pacing the deck, he raised his rifle, ready for battle.

Jayce, meanwhile, crouched awkwardly, his face a mask of embarrassment.

He wasn't alone in being charmed, but as someone who prided himself on his dignity, the shame cut deeper.

At the bow, Duke focused on the incoming pirate brig. But as it entered firing range, he spotted another ship approaching behind it.

This one was even larger, and carried a very different kind of presence.

"No wonder it was rushing toward us… it's being chased!"

"What should we do, sir?"

Captain List stood behind him, his voice low.

Duke glanced at Elise's ship as it distanced itself from the Swordfish. After a moment of thought, he made a decision.

"Clear the way. Those two ships are locked in a chase, we can't get involved recklessly. We're a research vessel, not a warship."

As Duke said this, List glanced at the twin weapons in Duke's hands and resisted the urge to sigh.

Pretty sure you're the deadliest person here…

But he wisely kept that thought to himself. Rifle in hand, he shouted for the sailors to adjust course and steer clear of the two pursuing ships.

As the Swordfish and Elise's vessel cleared the way, the damaged brig streaked past them. Duke could clearly see the panic and fear on the faces aboard.

The brig was moving fast, almost instantly putting distance between itself and the other ships. The larger ship behind it followed more slowly.

On its deck stood a woman with sun-kissed skin and a tri-corner hat. She held two pistols, her confident smile framed by long brown hair flowing in the sea breeze.

Her stunning figure left little to the imagination.

As her ship passed the Swordfish, the woman even winked at Duke.

His jaw dropped slightly.

This beautiful, self-assured woman took him completely off guard.

"…Shit."

"Miss Fortune?!"

End of chapter...

To be continued...

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