In the pristine hospital room, Pepper affectionately held the hand of the still-unconscious Tony. Artoria sat on a nearby sofa in silence, glancing at Pepper and Tony before reflexively touching her left shoulder. The journey back hadn't been smooth! When Artoria flew off with Tony, she had also snatched The Mandarin's Ten Rings. Unexpectedly, a lightning-fast beam from the ground had shot straight toward her. If she hadn't been carrying Tony, she could have easily dodged it by instinct. She managed to avoid a fatal hit, but it struck her left shoulder.
Although it didn't break her defense, it was enough to surprise her. It seemed there were forces in China she didn't know about, or perhaps the Divine Spear Bureau had made its move? Artoria had only caught a glimpse of a shadow before it vanished into the mountains. This made her wary of staying too long, and she brought Tony out of China as quickly as possible.
"It's just excessive blood loss, Pepper. Don't worry too much; Tony will recover."
That memorable strike still left Artoria with lingering fears. Pushing those thoughts aside, she watched helplessly as Pepper stroked Tony's face over and over. Good grief, these two are so used to shoving their public displays of affection down people's throats! They don't care about anyone else's feelings at all, this shameless couple.
"I know, Artoria, but when will this idiot finally stop taking risks? I'm so worried he'll suddenly die in some corner where no one will ever know."
Pepper spoke calmly, but her face was etched with worry. It was a relief that Tony had returned safely, but she was still deeply concerned. The various dangerous events occurring had shattered her worldview. Ever since the incident with Obadiah, the world seemed to have changed into something she no longer recognized. Artoria's supernatural abilities and Tony's powerful suits had all destroyed her common sense. Her heart kept telling her that this world was no longer normal; it wasn't the peaceful world she used to know.
Ever since Tony announced he was 'Iron Man,' she had been living in constant fear, terrified of seeing his corpse. Seeing him return injured brought both relief and anxiety, fearing that one day he wouldn't come back at all.
"That's why we have to keep a close eye on him and not let him run wild, right, Pepper?"
Sensing Pepper's anxiety, Artoria stepped forward and rested a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. This fragile woman supported Iron Man's warm heart. If it weren't for Pepper, Tony would still be that arrogant playboy, likely to die in some woman's bed one day. This woman truly was the soul of Iron Man.
"The Doctor said he'll wake up soon. Take good care of him; I have some things to handle at the company."
After comforting her sister-in-law, Artoria really didn't want to stay and be a third wheel anymore, so she used business as an excuse to leave the hospital. With Pepper there, Tony would be fine, and with many S.H.I.E.L.D. agents guarding the area, Artoria didn't have to worry about anyone attacking him for now.
"It's been a long time, Miss Artoria."
As Artoria walked out of the hospital entrance, a familiar red-haired woman appeared before her. She greeted Artoria cheerfully. It was none other than Natasha, who had been missing for quite some time. Artoria didn't know where she had been on a mission, but since Natasha had been skipping work at her company, Artoria, as her boss on paper, had to say something.
"You're fired, Miss Natasha."
The smile gradually faded from Natasha's face. Was this any way to greet an 'acquaintance' you had a good relationship with? You knew my identity when we fought side-by-side; to say something so mood-killing during a reunion... you really are just like your brother.
"Fine! I'll take the firing. But haven't you missed me at all since we last met?"
With all sorts of complaints on the tip of her tongue, Natasha could only let out a helpless sigh. She couldn't afford to offend this little ancestor. Ultimately, she had to accept it; she shouldn't have left without saying a word. However, seeing the mirth in Artoria's eyes, Natasha breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Artoria was just playing a joke on her.
"I'm done messing with you. What's your mission today? My big brother?"
Artoria stopped joking with Natasha and spoke with hidden meaning, wanting to get the information she desired from Natasha's mouth. Was she sent by that Nick Fury to watch over Tony? It made sense; with their capabilities, it would be abnormal if they found out Tony was in the hospital too late.
"No, this time, my mission is still you. Since something happened to Tony, it's possible someone has their eyes on the Stark siblings, so the Director sent me to 'protect' you."
Saying this made even Natasha feel a bit embarrassed. Artoria's strength was much higher than hers. At this time, calling it protection was undoubtedly just another form of overt surveillance, wanting to know Artoria's whereabouts and intelligence. 'Protection' was just a nice way of putting it; her real mission was to report on Artoria's situation.
"Understood. Are you still going to work, Miss Natasha?"
Seeing Natasha's embarrassed expression, Artoria didn't intend to tease her. S.H.I.E.L.D. was likely planning to lay their cards on the table and invite her to join the Avengers! In that case, could her own plans be moved forward a bit? The hyperion was ready; it was time for it to ascend into Space.
"Of course, Miss Artoria. I Hope you won't hold the previous matters against me; I had no choice."
"Sure! But I'm planning to dock several months of your salary. Please be mentally prepared."
Hearing Artoria's words, Natasha felt like a suffering child with no way out! Her superiors were heartless, sending her on missions every day—a lawyer today, a model tomorrow, and a 'call girl' the day after. She had no choice but to surrender to Artoria, asking her not to pursue her behavior of skipping work. But Artoria had her own ways; she stared straight into Natasha's eyes, making Natasha feel a bit guilty. Then, the words Artoria spoke were exactly like a certain black-hearted Nick Fury, making Natasha wonder if she was seeing things.
How could a beautiful goddess overlap so much with that one-eyed Nick Fury who looked like he carried a deep-seated grudge? It must be a hallucination, it must be. A little Angel turning into a black-hearted devil—this was not a good thing.
"Please forgive me, Eldest Miss Artoria! I still have several bags I want to buy. The salary the Director pays... well! He hasn't paid a salary in a long time. I wonder how many years it's been since the last payday?"
At the mention of salary, not only did Natasha look sour, but several eavesdropping Special Agents also shed silent tears. When would their salaries be paid? It had been a long time since they saw those green bills. That wonderful texture and those sexy edges hadn't appeared in their wallets for ages.
"No... it can't be that bad! Is he not only black-faced but also black-hearted?"
Natasha's reaction was unexpected for Artoria. As the most secret department under the government with all sorts of black technology, their research funds were astronomical. And that high-profile Helicarrier was built out of piles of green cash. The funds the Nick Fury could apply for were not small; how could there be no money for the Special Agents' salaries?
This news was too unexpected. Artoria decided to eat a dozen steaks first to calm down.
---------------------------------
I hope you're enjoying the fanfiction so far! If the story has you hooked and you can't wait to see what happens next, you can unlock 30 chapters in advance over on my Patreon: patreon.com/TLHimejima1
Every bit of support means the world to me so if you're loving the ride, don't forget to drop a Power Stone and let me know.