[Chapter 174: Black Widow Appears]
"Scarlett, you're back?" Daniel asked over the phone.
The voice on the other end was definitely Scarlett.
"Yeah, my movie finished filming, and I just got back today." Scarlett asked again, "Daniel, are you free tomorrow night?"
Daniel replied, "What do you want to do?"
"A costume party," Scarlett said casually.
Daniel asked, "Which character are you thinking of dressing up as?"
Scarlett shrugged. "I haven't decided yet. How about Nala from The Lion King? You can be Simba."
Daniel grinned. "That's not bad, but I have a better character in mind for you. Want to try it?"
Curious, Scarlett asked, "Which one?"
"Come over to my place tomorrow afternoon, and I'll show you," Daniel said.
"Keeping it a mystery?" she teased.
"Exactly," Daniel replied.
"Alright, then I'll look forward to tomorrow," Scarlett said.
"You'll be happy," Daniel promised.
After hanging up, Daniel immediately headed out. Money could even make the devil turn a millstone.
By noon the next day, after spending a small fortune, two costumes had been delivered to Daniel's home, complete with props.
...
A little after 3 p.m., Scarlett arrived at Daniel's villa.
It had been a while since he'd seen her, but she was still as radiant as ever. Maybe filming a blockbuster had boosted her confidence; she now carried herself with a poised, self-assured beauty.
As soon as she stepped inside, she exclaimed, "Daniel, did you hit the jackpot? You actually moved into Beverly Hills and live in a mansion like this?"
Daniel smiled. "I've had some luck recently."
"Give me the grand tour," Scarlett insisted.
Daniel gave her a quick walkthrough. Scarlett sighed, "This house is incredible. I hope I can afford something like this someday."
"You definitely will," Daniel assured her.
She smiled, then said, "Alright, let's get down to business. Show me the character you've got for me."
"Follow me."
Daniel led Scarlett to the guest room.
On the bed lay a set of clothes, with a few carefully chosen accessories beside them.
Scarlett picked up the outfit, staring at it for some time, looking confused. "What character is this? I don't recognize it."
Daniel smiled. "Put it on first and see."
"Alright," she agreed.
Daniel left the room to give Scarlett privacy to change.
Ten full minutes passed before Scarlett opened the door and walked out slowly.
She was wearing a sleek, custom-fitted black bodysuit with a distinctive texture. A leather belt with a red buckle cinched her waist, and holsters strapped guns to each thigh. Her hands were covered in fingerless leather gloves, and her arms bore custom bracers. The outfit perfectly hugged her curvy figure. The guns on her thighs and the armored bracers gave her an edge of daring heroism.
The only flaw was her height -- she was a bit short. But with that stunning face and undeniable charisma, that minor detail was easy to overlook.
Daniel's eyes lit up. This was exactly the vibe he wanted.
Scarlett studied herself in the mirror but still looked puzzled. "Who exactly is this? I don't remember."
Daniel said, "It's missing a little something."
He looked at Scarlett's hair. It was blonde and long, giving her a youthful look.
With a flick of his hand, Daniel produced an Elixir.
He crushed the Elixir in his palm and applied it to Scarlett's hair.
Slowly, her hair changed color -- from blonde to a rich brownish-red. Then Daniel curled her locks slightly and shortened them into a medium-short style.
In an instant, Scarlett transformed from a pretty, youthful girl into a beautiful, charming, heroic, and cool version of herself -- the Scarlett Johansson everyone recognized.
Daniel smiled. "There. All done."
"What did you do?" Scarlett asked, stepping back into the room to fully check herself in the full-length mirror.
Looking at her reflection in stunned silence, she finally said, "How did you do that? I look like a completely different person."
Daniel asked, a smile playing on his lips, "So, are you satisfied?"
Scarlett nodded repeatedly. "Yeah, now this look feels familiar. Let me think."
She paused, concentrating, but still came up blank. "Give me a hint."
Daniel grinned. "Marvel."
Scarlett's eyes suddenly sparkled. "Now I get it! Black Widow, the Marvel character."
Daniel nodded. "Correct."
After a moment of excitement, Scarlett grew curious. "Why did you pick this character for me?"
Daniel leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Because this character is about to hit the big screen."
Scarlett's eyes widened. "Really?"
Daniel smiled. "Just keep it to yourself, okay?"
Scarlett nodded solemnly.
"Then who are you playing?" she asked.
"Wait and see," Daniel said with a grin.
He left the room and headed to his own.
Before long, Daniel stepped out.
He was dressed in a custom sleeveless, tight-fitting vest that showed off the muscles in his arms and his V-shaped torso. His tight pants accentuated his long legs.
Like Scarlett, he had a gun holstered on one thigh, but on his back was a quiver filled with sci-fi-style arrows. In one hand, he held a bow that was powerful and futuristic in design.
In this outfit, Daniel looked both handsome and heroic, radiating a strong masculine energy.
Scarlett's eyes lit up instantly.
Especially when she saw his muscular arms and sculpted V-taper physique, she couldn't help but swallow with admiration.
"Hawkeye! I know him," Scarlett laughed. "You actually look better and more handsome than the comics."
Daniel smiled. "How do we look together in these outfits?"
Scarlett beamed. "It's a perfect match."
...
At 8 p.m., Daniel and Scarlett drove to a villa.
Compared to Daniel's house, this place was a few levels lower but still impressive -- a legitimate mansion.
Before arriving, Scarlett had told Daniel that the villa belonged to Chris Evans -- the future Captain America.
Scarlett already knew him before the Marvel movies. They'd worked together last year on a film called The Perfect Score, which was released in January.
Though the movie flopped -- costing $16 million but making just over $10 million worldwide -- Scarlett and Chris had gotten to know each other and stayed in touch.
The party inside was already buzzing with energy.
Daniel saw all sorts of elaborate costumes. Some allowed faces to be seen, but many guests were so decked out that even their mothers wouldn't recognize them.
"Wow!"
The host, Chris Evans, stepped out to greet them.
When he saw Scarlett, he couldn't help but say, "Scarlett, you look beautiful tonight."
Then he turned to Daniel. "And this is?"
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.
https://discord.gg/HjHHhUXPn7.