"You unqualified vegetables, what have you been doing here all this time? Not only did you miss the sniper, you even let him escape—there was a debriefing going on in the security office right now. Many of the employees were clearly worried about their futures, as their boss had never been so vicious, and who knew what he might do to them?"
While Alex was debriefing his subordinates, while Tony and Natasha were checking the cameras where the possible killer might be, Thor simply stood there, lost in his thoughts, his face alternately thoughtful and frowning.
"Hey, water carrier, leave the guys alone and go take a look... you see here," Alex watched the minute-long recording, in which a sniper in closed clothing simply appeared on the roof and was captured on camera, aimed his sniper rifle, fired, and disappeared. "Don't look at me like that, I checked it wasn't a malfunction and the recording isn't faked."
- Oh f* - everyone in the room was clearly looking strangely at the only doctor - it would have been better if it was a fake.
"Maybe this is some kind of camouflage device?" Natasha played the recording back, trying to find any possible clues or errors that might provide answers.
- No, such technologies require a lot of energy if they are done incorrectly, and Jarvis's scanners did not show any surges of energy before the shot itself.
" What if these are the abilities of another mutant?" the voice of one of the security guards was heard .
- Then he had to somehow bring in the weapon, but in the video he appeared and disappeared as if...
- Teleported – Alex's American friend finished his speech.
Everyone perceived the information that passed through them differently, but everyone agreed with the statement or no one had any other ideas.
"That explains a lot..." Tkachev, the head of security, instantly transformed when he realized there was a way to leave this room while still in office. "We need to look into this issue, find out everything you can about strange deaths or similar cases."
So far, no people with such abilities have been officially registered, but even an understanding of who it could be was better than if there were no answers at all.
consider yourself lucky this time , but don't expect such generosity from me again." Having given the order, Alex left the office, followed by the remaining Avengers, accompanied by a chorus of "I have some work to do."
The clearly wound-up scientist moved in a direction known to him through several rooms and climbed the stairs to the roof, from where the scene was clearly visible, and the shot was fired.
-I want to apologize to you for this incident...
- Wow. wow wow no one expected this...
"Yes, my friend, such moments are very dangerous; dying in battle is no big deal. But getting a treacherous dagger in the back—that's what a leader should be wary of."
- Thank you, but I have been expecting an attack on me for a long time, I just didn't think it would be like this.
Everything Alex did was frowned upon in some circles, and one of the reasons he injected himself with Extremis was that someone would definitely try to kill him soon, someone hired to kill him. That's exactly what happened, and fortunately, he survived.
- Look at it this way - everyone looked curiously at the only woman present - you don't need to give any interviews now.
- Yes, indeed. This is really good news – their gaze met, and they smiled at each other.
After the incident, many journalists were in a panic, but once they were calmed down, they decided to continue the program with a tour to settle some questions and distract people from the assassination attempt. Although this was hard to believe, since some had already left the scene not because they were afraid, but because they needed to work on the material and publish it quickly.
Determined not to miss the opportunity, Alex decided to give his teammates a similar tour. While the journalists were taken through the empty wing, the group of heroes toured the special children's wing. While Alex was explaining the good equipment he had been able to obtain, he decided to play a joke and quietly approached a spy who was looking out the window of a ward where a little girl of about five was staying, drawing something.
- You know, sometimes good emotions help better than any treatment.
- What do you have...
Before she could finish her question, two hands on her waist steered her into the ward. She resisted, of course , but mostly for show; trying to force such a woman to do something she doesn't want to do is very difficult.
And so it happened that in the ward there was an avenger and a little girl whose eyes widened greatly from recognition of the one who had come to her.
It wasn't difficult for Natasha to connect with the small child, although the first few seconds of realization didn't foreshadow anything positive for the clinic owner who had placed her in this situation. Just a few minutes later, she was sitting on the bed behind a little girl of about nine, tying her hair and listening to words of admiration for herself and how her friends would envy her when she returned home. At one point, they noticed they were being filmed from the window of the hospital room, and they made cheerful faces, pressing their cheeks together for a group photo.
" Such photos and stories can have a positive impact on the reputation of all team members, which will increase public support, " - realizing this, the water manipulator's gaze turned to the other team members.
The former playboy was a little more difficult to drag into the same room, but losing at rock-paper-scissors is sacred to a forty-year-old man. So, just a couple of minutes after his loss, he was sitting and listening to the joyful voice of a six-year-old Russian child. This was difficult for an American who didn't speak any other languages. Even the small earpiece Jarvis translated into wasn't much help. He wasn't very good at communicating with children, so he did the only thing he could. He headed for the exit.
He opened the door and waited a few seconds before two gloves from his suit flew into the room and gave one of them for temporary use to the boy, who looked in disbelief at the metal glove that was now on his hand, and small drops of tears were visible in his eyes, because thoughts flashed through the boy's head that one of the heroes could simply up and simply leave him.
"When I get better, I'll become an engineer like you, Mr. Stark," the boy rattled off in a slightly hoarse but joyful voice.
Having slightly tousled the boy's hair, Tony looked at him.
- You can get ready now, I'm sure that soon you will be healthy and strong, so I will expect great achievements from you.
Thor decided not to lag too far behind his comrades in arms, so when he entered the room, he did not expect to see a small child without hair who was connected to wires and slowly turned his head from the window and looked at his guest with an unblinking gaze.
"Hello, young warrior," the future king, who could drive enormous creatures into the ground, said, not knowing what to say. This had never happened in Asgard before. "How are you?"
Seeing the patient's condition, the thought occurred to the blond that this was not the best question.
Watching one of his most critically ill patients smile, Alex felt a little better. Behind the glass, Thor was telling a story about one of his battles, vigorously swinging a hammer across the room. Of course, he could have performed a personal operation to help the child long ago, but he couldn't work around the clock, so he had to look for alternatives. And if something went wrong, there was always the option of stepping in and doing it himself.
"You know, that was a dirty move," while Alex was tormented by his thoughts, the only avenger approached him. "Before pushing me into the ward, you could have warned me."
- Just in case, a bullet hit me in the head a couple of hours ago - he smiled at his companion - and besides, from what I saw, you didn't seem to mind too much.
"I would still have appreciated a warning in advance," but even so, she couldn't hide a slight smile.
Alex stood and watched to take another photo, but the story of the thunder god's military exploits seemed nowhere near ending.
"When you fell after the shot," the quiet female voice of his interlocutor interrupted the silence between them, "it was difficult to accept that you were dead, but the moment when you started to heal scared me even a little more."
He didn't say anything, but simply began to look questioningly, asking for me to continue.
- I thought you were going to explode from that glow.
"I knew they would come for me sooner or later, so I was prepared for it, but that's not what worries me," he was now given a questioning look. "If this really is teleportation , then because of idiots like these, everything can go to hell."
- There are always idiots because of whom others suffer.
"Yes, but if we don't find a way to deal with them, soon there will be protests with signs saying 'Mutant Lives Matter,' or even worse, protests against people like me," he continued, taking a deep sigh. "Everything I'm doing now could go to hell if such idiots appear , causing governments to round up everyone indiscriminately and, fortunately, not kill them in the process."
Suddenly a woman's hand fell on his chest, and in front of his face was a head of red hair and calm blue eyes that looked at him intently and even with a little tenderness.
"It's all right, the issue with that shooter will be resolved and he'll answer for what he did. I'll help you and find him. Leave this matter to me, and you better take care of this . " She pointed to the room where, with one careless swing, Thor had simply broken a cabinet, causing the child to giggle.
Even if this wasn't yet an answer to his proposal about what she planned to do in the future, he'd brought them here specifically to show them what he was doing and to sway the existing Avengers more to his side. Her working relationship with Tony was now strong, and it would be nice if the future king of Asgard considered you a friend, not just a comrade. Of course , you shouldn't underestimate a woman who could even deceive the god of deceit and cunning, but it was even easier to get lost in her beautiful eyes.
After looking at each other for a while, their gazes began to move closer...
- I hope I'm not disturbing you?
The billionaire's voice rang out in the hallway, where the staff had no intention of disturbing their boss. As soon as they realized what they were doing, they blushed slightly, but there was no sudden leaping apart like in Japanese anime, and they didn't try to convince everyone they were just friends.
"Tony... buddy... I'm not mad at you... don't worry." Seeing the right moment, Alex went to take a photo of the third avenger, who was spending time with his patients and not looking at the inventor's pale face.
- Tony Where's Pepper ?
- She and Daria - Stark had a hard time pronouncing Russian names - are working on contracts between our companies now.
- Then I'll go sit with the girls, and you boys have fun.
Tony didn't pay any attention to it at first, but then he realized that he was now alone with Alex, not counting the staff, who were pretending to work, but were listening very intently and trying not to look at what was happening in front of them.
- Well? It's time for your operation! Time to fulfill one of the goals of your trip and get that thing out of your chest.
The smile on the face of the head of this institution did not please the future patient.
- You know, I've somehow gotten used to her, I think… - the generator that was in the chest attracted attention.
"Don't worry so much," he said, putting his arm around him and leading him in the right direction. "Everything will be fine. We'll use a tried-and-true European method called flugegenheimen . "
"I thought you were going to do the whole operation." Stark tried to break free, but to his surprise he was held tightly and not allowed to escape.
- Of course I will, we'll just do something else to improve your health. Don't worry, it's a very well-known procedure in Europe.
The light clink of wine glasses from the directors of the two companies was interrupted by the opening of the door.
- And I was told that you are currently working on contracts.
The sight didn't surprise the spy. A bottle of wine and some snacks sat on a small table.
"We decided to combine business with pleasure," the CEO of Stark Industries took a sip of expensive wine. "Join us, it's a very busy day today."
A minute later, the sound of glasses clinking was heard again in the office , but this time there were three of them.
"Dasha, did you know Alexey could restore himself like this?" The spy's question wasn't unusual; Pepper was already curious about it.
- No. Don't even ask, I barely know what he does in his lab. He keeps me informed of any problems that might arise, but if he's injecting himself with anything , I'll find out about it later.
- As I understand you, Tony also disappears into his workshop, and then he has to be pushed out by force.
The conversation was now more for the sake of conversation. The recent situation had left them all feeling a bit uneasy. Meanwhile, the glasses continued to empty and refill.
- Pepper, how are you feeling after being on our great doctor's table?
- You know, Dash, it's pretty good, they got that serum that Killian pumped into me out of me - she added after taking a sip - but after today I'm already thinking about getting what Alex developed.
The two women looked at her carefully, demanding an answer.
"Life has become very dangerous lately. Stane, Vanko , Killian. I've always been in danger to some degree or another. So now I've started thinking about my personal safety."
- You've been cleansed of one serum, and you want to take another?
- Natasha, something can always go wrong and I don't want Tony to constantly worry about me.
- Each of those present in the room knew to one degree or another that life is a fragile thing and that some random factor could always occur that no one would like.
injected himself with . At the very least, we won't have to worry about such attacks."
- Let's drink to this.
And so went the first, then the second, and then the third bottle. The conversation intensified, as it was difficult to find someone to have a heart-to -heart talk with without worrying about the consequences. At this point, no one considered that their potential conflict could cost both companies billions of dollars in losses.
- Dasha, how did you even meet him? I don't think you would have gotten your job as general director just for your pretty eyes.
- Oh, girls. I'm here, just like a third of the people who work here. I'm working for his services.
- Ooooooh, - the two redheads babbled together, - I wonder how often you work on them? Heehee
- Unlike you, Miss Potts, I didn't spend almost all my time around my boss.
- I actually didn't sleep with him until we started dating officially.
- Yeah, and she killed with her eyes everyone she saw in Tony's bed.
- You should have definitely kept quiet about this, if you hadn't ended up in the shield...
- Tony and I didn't have anything, I just needed to find out some information.
- Haaaah - the bottle fell to the floor from the blonde's sudden movement - oh.
Then there was an additional order of a couple more bottles and the ladies wanted something meaty.
- You know that I will take revenge on you.
- Of course, Tony, I know, but it was funny, you twitched so cheerfully when you saw this device.
- Oh , you don't even know what fun is. I'll never forget this.
Aside from Stark's panicked attempt to leave the operating table, the operation went relatively smoothly. Prepared instructions for removing the magnet helped remove it quickly. Afterward, the fragments of bone fragments pulled by the magnet were removed from the chest. The longest part was repairing the massive hole in the man's chest lying on the operating table. A couple of hours, and the thing that had kept the former arms dealer awake for years became just a small souvenir. Under normal circumstances, such an operation could have been performed by regular doctors with good equipment. True, the risks were high and the treatment and recovery process lengthy, but why risk it when there was a living regeneration "machine" nearby who could heal you and get you back on your feet in a day?
Returning to the office, Alex and his patient found one of the wooden boxes that had been brought here after the Asgard servants had handed them over.
Inside this box there were special holders in which there were six bottles.
"Is this what I think it is?" Tony carefully examined the bottle that was now in the hands of his attending physician.
-Yes, Asgardian alcohol, a gift from Odin himself.
"Since when do the gods send you gifts?" Of course, Stark hadn't really believed in gods before meeting Thor, and now that he'd learned they were just aliens, he'd stopped believing that, but that was the simplest way to put it.
- Since then, when wounded warriors who could not participate in battles learned from the stories of their prince that there was one Midgardian who could help them return to the ranks and go to Valhalla when their time comes, and not die in their beds.
- So they're just trying to appease you?
- Yes, but I'm not against it, I have a lot of plans for the Asgardians to appear here.
"And what are your plans for the Asgardians ?" the thunder god entered, watching intently as they began pouring from one bottle into glasses.
"And then, my long-time friend, everyone will be very kind and good-natured to me. After all, no one wants to anger the evil 'gods' who could appear here at any moment and punish those who want to harm me." That's why Thor's arrival, along with the gifts, was captured by hundreds of cameras.
"You don't have to worry about that, I'll personally make sure nothing happens to this place. You're doing a good deed helping these little ones , and I'd be a bad king if I didn't make sure your work doesn't go to waste even after your death."
- Then a toast: to the legacy! And what we leave behind!
- Agree.
After which all the glasses hit each other, but the inspired god could not restrain himself, and with his power he broke all the glasses after hitting them against each other.
- Ooooh , forgive me my friend, I'm not used to such weak...
- It's okay, just try to control yourself.
While the liquid was being poured into new glasses, the man who had recently emerged from the operating table began to think about his legacy, something the two people present did not notice.
"Are you sure I can drink now?" He was distracted from his reverie by a glass being shoved towards him. "I just got over surgery, right?"
Standing with a new glass, the billionaire suddenly decided to take care of his health.
- I'm your doctor now and I guarantee you that nothing bad will happen from a couple of sips.
The sun was shining brightly and illuminating the vast sand sea with its warm light.
All along the horizon line, only tons of sand were visible.
The only structure that had not yet been covered by sand was a small clay building in the shape of a box.
In a small room that had no cement, there was a huge hole in the ceiling into which bright sunlight was directed.
Just out of the bright light, three grown men lay on the empty floor, one of them wearing a bright red cloak. They were practically dead, if not for the breath visible on each man's chest.