Two weeks had passed since Alex's last meeting with Tony Stark. The two now sat in Tony's workshop, trading jokes and stories. Early in their talk, Alex slid a small vial across the table—a fresh antidote dose for Tony's poisoning. Tony accepted it without a word. Then Alex pulled out a second vial and placed it beside the first.
"One more. Just in case," Alex said quietly.
Tony raised an eyebrow but pocketed it without question. The conversation shifted to the Monaco Grand Prix, scheduled for the next day. Alex remembered this was the very race where Tony would be attacked. But he couldn't say anything to Tony.
Alex leaned forward slightly. "I know you are sponsoring one of the racers. Security's tightened for the Grand Prix. Any changes to the schedule or plans need to be reported first."
Tony waved a dismissive hand, swirling his whiskey. "Changes? How can I report what hasn't happened yet?"
Alex just looked him dead in the eyes. "You're Tony Stark. You always change something."
Tony chuckled and raised one arm in surrender. "Okay, fine. I was actually planning to race myself tomorrow. Don't you dare tell Pepper."
Alex tilted his head. "Speaking of Pepper, how is she doing as the new CEO of Stark Industries?"
At that moment, Pepper Potts walked into the workshop. "Are you two boys talking behind my back?"
Tony gestured toward Alex. "Alex was just asking how you're handling the CEO life!"
Pepper smiled faintly. "I'm doing quite fine. Just tired from having to clean up someone's mess...as always." She shot Tony a look.
Tony glanced away, feigning innocence. "Where's your new assistant?" he asked, changing the subject quickly.
Pepper sighed, defeated by the obvious dodge. She turned toward the doorway. "Natalie, you can come inside."
Heels clicked on polished marble tiles. A scent of jasmine filled the room, and a striking redhead stepped in. Alex turned his head to look at the newcomer—and froze. How could he forget this face? He didn't know every future Avenger well, but this one was unforgettable. Someone who made his heart skip a beat.
'The Black Widow'
"Mr. Stark," the woman greeted with a graceful bow, her voice smooth as silk. Her eyes drifted to Alex. "Mr. Kane." Her smile was a flawless performance—warm, inviting, 'utterly false.' "I'm Natalie Rushman. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Alex scanned her from head to toe. She wore a sleek, professional outfit, every line of her body language exuding harmless charm. But Alex recognized the mask instantly. He'd worn that exact mask himself countless times and knew the subtle art of hiding intent behind a perfect smile.
But Alex didn't want to expose her. Deciding to amuse himself, Alex mirrored her innocent smile perfectly, even matching the tone when he greeted her. His own "innocent" mask slid into place, flawless and chillingly identical. "The pleasure's mine, Natalie. May I call you Nat?"
Natalie's smile didn't falter. "It's okay to just call me Natalie."
Alex smirked faintly. "Nat, Natalie, Natasha—aren't they all the same anyway?"
For the briefest moment, Natasha's eyes narrowed, a flash of recognition passing between them, but she kept her cover intact.
Natalie tilted her head, as if suddenly curious. "You know, I'm actually a huge fan," she said smoothly. "I even heard a rumor you're… well, more than human. I'd love to see your powers in action."
Alex caught the subtle fishing for information immediately. He kept his tone light. "It's merely gimmicks. No need to listen to rumors."
Her smile didn't falter, but there was a flicker in her gaze—acknowledgment that he'd evaded the probe.
Pepper clapped her hands lightly. "Alright, Natalie, why don't you get started on those files I mentioned earlier?"
"Of course, Ms. Potts." Natalie said, offering one last polite smile before walking out. Her heels clicked softly against the floor, and her hips swayed with calculated elegance.
Tony's gaze followed her, focused entirely on the sway. Alex's eyes also followed her, but his mind was elsewhere—deep in thought, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Pepper noticed, shaking her head at both of them. 'Boys'
She stepped forward, breaking Tony's stare with a pointed remark. "Don't stay up too late tonight with your tinkering. We have to be ready for the event in Monaco, and I don't want you showing up half-asleep."
Tony blinked and leaned back. "Yeah, yeah… I'll be there." He discreetly winked at Alex.
---
At SHIELD Headquarters, Fury leaned back in his chair as Natasha's voice came through his comms.
"I had a meeting with the monster you introduced. He recognized me—looked me straight in the eye, and I know he knew. But he didn't expose me. Almost like he was… testing how I'd react," she said, her tone sharp. "If he was dangerous before, now he's unpredictable. And that's worse."
Fury's brow furrowed. "That son of a bitch has leveled up his intelligence network. Don't waste time worrying about him. I've got a sweet deal with him. Just stick to your mission."
"Understood," Natasha replied. "But if this goes sideways, I'm running first. I didn't kill Dreykov just to die another day."
"Noted," Fury said, ending the call.
He turned to the woman beside him. "Still no communication from Kane International's side?"
Maria Hill nodded. "Their last message said they were closing in on the core of the organization. They mentioned undergoing some kind of procedure right before going dark."
Fury understood immediately. "Keep digging. I want updates the second you find something."
Hill left, and Fury stared at the darkened window. "What are you doing, Kane?"
---
Back at Kane Headquarters, Elias stood before Alex, delivering his report on the traitors they'd uncovered. "One was a member of Hydra, as we already knew. But another had a Ten Rings symbol tattooed on his back. We found it after examining his burned body."
Alex frowned. The Ten Rings was a low-class terrorist group they had already crushed once. The thought that they had infiltrated his organization and nearly reached its core filled him with quiet anger. He made a mental note to dig deeper into them.
Elias brought up the final files. "The last two seemed normal at first, but after a deeper scan, I found advanced masking. This wasn't just clever—this was government-level forgery. FBI or CIA-grade."
Alex raised an eyebrow, then his expression hardened. 'SHIELD.'
"Get rid of any evidence that they died," Alex ordered. "And keep digging into the Ten Rings. I want to know everything about them."
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