The sound of running water in the shower was a major distraction for Alex.
More accurately, it wasn't the sound itself, but the images of the fatal red-haired beauty washing her body, how certain areas of it were covered in foam, and the various positions she might be in.
Fortunately or unfortunately, not everything Alex imagined actually happened. But it was hard to do anything when his brain was constantly throwing up images.
And he didn't just throw them in there.
After the hearing, the heroes didn't celebrate—not everyone found reason to rejoice in this victory. But when they were alone, Natasha decided otherwise. She needed to vent her pent-up rage and triumph, and she did so the only way she could: in a heated physical fight, proving to both him and herself that the pawn she once was was a thing of the past. Alex could only confirm: it was a rodeo beyond his wildest imagination.
After a short rest, he had to leave the warm and cozy place with a heavy heart to check the employees' reports and understand what was happening on the other side of the world.
It turned out that while he and Tony were plowing through the vastness of space and stopping a shadow organization from taking over the world, other events were also taking place in another part of the planet.
An attack on the director of ICE Storm Corporation, an attempt to seize his laboratory, and, most discussed in the news, an assassination attempt on the president and the council of ministers in order to paralyze the government.
Alex smiled as he imagined the shooters sneaking past security and, when they reached the important target, failing to kill him due to a regeneration no one expected. It allowed the top man to wait for help and reach safety.
Security footage showed the Red Guardian and a squad of stormtroopers storming in and scattering those who had previously killed dozens of security guards. The former Soviet supersoldier was also surprised to discover that the guards were no ordinary people—infused with some kind of drug that made them stronger. But even the serum couldn't save the attackers when the stormtroopers and security reinforcements arrived.
All this created a dire situation for ordinary citizens, with the city placed under martial law for several days and raids the likes of which the world had never seen before beginning across the country.
There were numerous targets to apprehend, and Alex was only too happy to pass on all the accumulated information to trusted intelligence officers, who began a real hunt for Hydra. The most dangerous ones, those who resisted the order, were simply shot on sight.
Given the overwhelming news coverage of Hydra, this was a good way to address the problem without expending much of one's resources.
Amidst all this confusion, various individuals began to seize the opportunity to eliminate their rivals, accusing them of ties to the Nazi organization. Whether there was evidence or not was irrelevant. People simply began to exploit the mass panic to solve their own problems.
But beyond Hydra, there was one other man who decided to seize the opportunity and show his teeth. Even if things didn't go as planned, Alex was once again convinced that safety was unsustainable. The money invested in people and equipment was already paying off. The Russian hero even shuddered slightly, imagining himself rushing around to stop every skirmish and respond to every crisis.
Dreykov's case was on the agenda, and now it could be dealt with using the same methods the world had begun to use to combat Hydra. Thanks to Yumiko, Alex already had enough information and began blocking the accounts of Dreykov's accomplices , who were his personal purveyors. Ledov also ordered his men to purge his friends in the security forces. Without money or soldiers, his only serious asset remained the Widows, who worked for him.
Five Widows, including Elena, as Anna reported, are now under control, and their lives are not in danger.
A satisfied smile appeared on Alex's face when a photo of an ash-haired girl appeared on the computer screen, seemingly sleeping peacefully.
"Natasha will definitely like this information. But how can I tell her this without her rushing straight to her sister?"
S.H.I.E.L.D. agent , she came into view.
Wrapped in a single towel, her skin damp and dripping with water, she emerged and, seeing Alex's intense gaze, decided to play with him.
She bent one leg slightly and began twirling her hair around her finger, looking at him with obvious playfulness.
- Well, how do you like the view?
Alex slowly ran his gaze over her again, and his throat went dry.
"I can't understand how I can concentrate on work when you're around."
She came closer and grabbed the edge of the towel, but only played with Alex's imagination by simply adjusting it.
- You try it!
And, satisfied with her trick, she went from the living room to the room.
" What a devil ,"
But, having calmed his emotions, he nevertheless went into the room and, before reaching the door, realizing that she was now most likely in negligee, he called her.
- Natasha, we need to talk.
Hearing his serious tone, it was no longer Natasha who came out of the room, but Agent Romanov , still in a towel, but ready for anything.
- Look at this.
Alex handed over the phone, which was broadcasting live from the hospital room with a patient, whom Natasha recognized as Elena.
- This is...
- Your sister.
Natasha couldn't believe her eyes.
- How?
"She was in the squad that attacked Anna in Moscow. She was brought to my facility, wounded, and stabilized."
Natasha froze in place, and Alex noticed from her movements that she didn't even know what to do with herself. So, approaching, he gently hugged her.
"Elena is currently under the care of my people. They found a lot of chemical mixtures in her blood, so she's currently asleep so she doesn't suddenly wake up and start acting up.
" Alex stroked her back soothingly.
- You can go there, but you won't be able to help her in any way, you'll only be watching and winding yourself up.
— Everything will be fine with her, right?
"If my people don't get her in order when we get back, I'll do it myself."
The tension in the super spy's body eased a little after her partner's words.
"Let's go have a drink," Alex's offer surprised Natasha. "After news like that, you'll still be on edge, but this way you'll relax a bit, and I'll tell you everything I know."
*****
"What happened at the hearing was simply a misunderstanding and a miscommunication that resulted in an unnecessary conflict. We are grateful to the Avengers for what they did, and after hearing their position, we will soon be able to reach a mutual understanding..."
There was no point in listening any further, and Tony gave the command to turn off the television, where the US President himself was speaking.
After which he stood up and attracted everyone's attention with a loud bang.
- Well, the first meeting of the Avengers can be considered open.
The entire original team, minus Thor, was currently in Stark Tower, lounging in chairs and on couches. Rhodey was nearby , and Sam Wilson, brought by Steve, sat quietly near the bar.
"As you can see, we've made great progress in our autonomy. Now people see us as serious people, not a bunch of lunatics saving the world between lunch and dinner."
"Does that make sense?" Bruce sat alone in his chair, a little nervous about the Hulk making his presence known. "What you did back there won't be forgotten so easily. They'll try to rein us in."
"That was the whole point, Brucie ," Tony said, turning his attention to his colleague. "All this is happening for a reason. With everything going on around us, it'll be interesting to see. A victory like this opens up new opportunities for us, allowing us to fulfill our voluntary duties."
Tony finished his sentence with a hint of sarcasm.
"But why do all this?" Rhodey stared at his friend. "You're provoking a huge force against yourself and at the same time setting us up."
"And our foreign friend will answer that question." He gestured toward Ledov and went behind the bar to be a gracious host.
"I understand you all have a lot of questions, and I'll try to explain everything," Alex looked around, his gaze lingering briefly on Natasha. "At first, Tony and I planned to make sure the Avengers team could deal with global threats as best as possible, with the best resources. But with the latest news that has reached us, the situation has changed dramatically." Everyone stared intently at the Water Lord, who was choosing his words.
—You all remember the huge portal in the sky over New York?
"It's hard to forget something like that," Sam had been following everything that was happening on TV, so he took the events of the past more lightly than others.
"Loki, who orchestrated the opening of the gate, was brought to trial," Alex looked at the group, who were listening intently. A slight smile appeared on some faces. "His punishment should have been death, but he was able to buy his life by providing valuable information."
"What exactly was he supposed to tell me?" Tony already knew the answer, but decided to lighten the mood a bit. At the very least, to quickly forget the feeling of being in outer space with a nuclear missile on his back. "Where does his father hide his long-forgotten stash?"
- No. He told who sent him here.
At that moment, Alex looked around at everyone and saw slight confusion on their faces. Finally, he looked at Natasha: her expression was thoughtful, waiting for more information to analyze.
"His name is Thanos . The Asgardians don't know much about him because he's outside their sphere of influence. But those who have encountered him all say the same thing. He exterminates the population of the planet he conquers by exactly half."
After this, a slight commotion ensued. Everyone started asking questions, but Alex waited patiently for everything to calm down.
"What does he want here?" Bruce began to get more and more nervous, because the Hulk inside him needed a fight.
"I don't know what he wants. Loki was supposed to get the Tesseract , but now it's not here. Maybe he wants something else. We don't know yet, but whatever it is, it doesn't bode well for us."
- So, sooner or later he will try again?
Alex looked at Natasha and merely shrugged, answering her question. Silence fell briefly in the room as everyone gathered their thoughts in the wake of the information they'd received.
disappeared from Rhodey's voice .
"Since Thanos needs the Tesseract , Asgard has begun preparing for war with him, knowing he'll come sooner or later. I don't think we should lag behind them.
" "I don't understand," Steve decided to join the conversation. "How will all this provocation of yours help initiate global preparations for war?"
"Steve, you're too naive," Natasha decided to answer the Captain. "No one will prepare for anything or spend budget money on a threat no one has seen or knows anything about. They'll only act once the space armies are already in orbit around the planet. And then it'll be too late."
Natasha often hung out with the elite and understood what motivated them.
- They can't ignore it if we tell them.
Natasha sighed wearily at the Captain's straightforwardness.
"Steve, if we tell them this, they'll demand Stark technology. Even if we give them that technology, they'd rather start unnecessary conflicts to prove their superiority on Earth than start building a planetary defense system."
"But…" Steve wanted to object, but, looking at the spy's serious face, he changed his mind at the last moment. "So what's the plan then?"
— For now, we need to ensure that we are not interfered with in doing our job.
— By constantly provoking governments, we will not achieve much.
Tony stepped out from behind the bar and looked at his childhood friend.
"We don't need it."
A holographic map of Earth appeared in the center of the room.
"Let me explain for everyone. After the battle in London, several ships left Earth. After some time, people began disappearing in small settlements around the world."
Markers with short descriptions began to appear on the map.
— Unknown people from space simply fly in and kidnap everyone, leaving no one behind.
"This is the first time I've heard of it," Sam, sitting with a glass in his hand, expressed the opinion of many.
"Exactly, feathered one. No one knows about this.
No one needed to voice the obvious thought: there was some deliberate concealment involved."
"And it so happened that just recently my companion and I..." Tony gestured towards Alex as the map of Earth changed to a map of Mars. "...found the location where they're based.
There were no photos or videos, just data they were able to obtain by scanning the space complex using Stark's ship. "Judging by the data we've obtained, several hundred people are currently being held captive."
The map changed to a rough map of the space slaver base, and Tony pointed out a large concentration of living people in one place.
- And you didn't save them?
Steve was ready to rush into battle at the mere thought that people were left in captivity.
"No, Captain Morale, we don't know who's there or what's going on. I'm not sure what weapons they have. If you just want to carry out a rescue mission, armed with nothing but a shield, on another planet against unknown creatures, then go ahead. I certainly won't interfere."
Steve stared at Stark's calm face for a few seconds, then thought for a moment and nodded, apologizing for jumping to conclusions.
"Our plans were constantly changing based on current data," the billionaire continued. "Including new information from Thor, our overall plan of action consists of three points.
The map of Mars disappeared at the engineer's command, and a recording of the 'interview' Alex had recently given appeared."
"The first step has already been taken, thanks to our mad scientist." Alex bowed slightly to everyone present as Tony continued. "We've undermined the reputations of many media outlets that were trashing the Avengers, and now they won't pounce on us like dogs at the first opportunity."
Everyone inside listened attentively and did not ask any questions for now.
"Step two: we show the world the inability of ordinary politicians to solve important problems and take responsibility in difficult times."
The holographic image showed a fragment of members of the American Congress arguing and fighting, clearly failing to make any progress. It was clear that this was a live recording, showing that the recent squabbles in the Senate had not been overlooked.
— Step three: we show the world that while some people cannot make a decision on dangerous weapons, there are people in the world who are doing their job and doing it well.
And again a map of Mars appeared, showing the location of the base.
- When we save these people, the whole world will see our work and efficiency, which will shut anyone up.
Natasha grinned slyly in understanding.
"Your plan is to make anyone who goes against the Avengers look like a warmonger or a sellout."
- Something like that.
Before the barrage of questions began, Alex decided to put in his word.
"You must understand: under different circumstances, a bounty would have been placed on our heads by now, and we'd be dead within a month. But even an idiot, after my little lecture, might not admit it, but he understands that this world needs us. Because it has no normal alternative. Besides, they won't pick a fight, understanding our power and influence among the masses."
Alex looked around at everyone.
"So we have two options. Either we just give up and hope for the best. Or we try to make sure our little world is prepared for what's to come."
After finishing his speech, Alex looked at everyone and saw from their faces: if there was a chance to prepare for a future that didn't involve the annihilation of half the Earth's population, then none of them would be left behind.
*****
Space pirates, colossal threats from outer space… For Clint Barton, it was all becoming too much for a man of his caliber.
And now, two men who have already saved the world several times over are proposing to remake it—at least in certain ways.
"That's all well and good," Clint decided to interject, "but why are we here? If you already have a plan, and it's already in motion."
Clint looked around at everyone present, and it was clear from their faces that they were wondering the same thing.
" Well ... It's a bit more complicated than that."
Clint listened silently to Alex and Tony's plan to transform the Avengers into an organization focused on protecting the planet from external and internal threats.
Once the rescue mission is over and the Avengers have proven their strength once again, they will make a statement that will either force the world community to accept them, or show that those who cannot save their citizens are also idiots who do not want to be involved in this problem.
Clint saw this idea as a S.H.I.E.L.D.- like organization , but without government control. The idea itself appealed to the archer, but there were many "buts." Questions of leadership, organization, goals, the methods by which it would operate, and much more.
And this is precisely why they were all gathered together – so that it would be a collective decision, if, of course, someone wanted it.
After examining everyone, Clint, thanks to his work as an operative, was able to read on their faces that everyone agreed with the idea. But when the more detailed analysis begins, it will be good if it ends with just a few black eyes.
Clint understood the general concept, but that didn't mean he wanted to be involved at all. Right now, he was more concerned about his family's safety. When Natasha shocked him with the news about Hydra, Hawkeye had asked one of his old friends, now retired , to keep an eye on his family. But now he needed to return to personally check that they were all okay.
"If everyone agrees to the plan, then we'll prepare for the rescue mission," Tony slammed the table, as if declaring the meeting closed in court. "We all need to be ready, because we can't screw up our first space rescue mission."
Tony took Bruce and Steve, followed by Sam, while Clint and Natasha were assigned to Ledov for preparation.
"It seems like nothing's even started yet, and they're already stopping asking us," Natasha's slight smile startled Clint. He couldn't tell if she liked what was happening or not.
The pair of spies didn't slow down as they walked down the corridor towards the Quinjet , following Ledov, who had heard everything.
"This is completely out of my league," Clint sighed heavily. "I'm an operative, not someone who's going to build a new world."
Listening to the dialogue between old friends, Alex decided to intervene.
"I'm sure Fury didn't imagine he'd be running such a huge organization either. But he did it anyway."
"Are you at least going to tell me where we're going?" Natasha expressed interest. "Maybe we need some things?"
Alex, walking ahead without stopping, said as he walked:
— We need to finish the work you started earlier.