Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was an ordinary day in New York City. The sun was shining, people were going about their business. Everything was fine until a blue beam shot from Stark Tower into the sky, moments later opening a large hole in the sky, revealing the blackness of space.

Within minutes, unknown creatures began emerging from this hole. No one was prepared for this: not the citizens of New York, not the army of nearby military bases, not even the group of people the tower's owner himself had dubbed "The Avengers."

The first to go and "greet" the guests on Earth was none other than Iron Man. The guests weren't expecting to be greeted so quickly, so the first salvo of small, high-tech missiles hit the first wave of targets. After this greeting, many of the aliens decided to return the favor, and a large group followed the man in the red and gold, state-of-the-art suit.

As the chase began in the sky, panic erupted on the ground. Many people who saw what was happening in the sky began to take cover and hide. But no matter how terrifying it was, many began filming the events and posting them online.

Panic was increasingly gripping the city. While Iron Man fought in the skies and local police units increasingly attracted the aliens' attention, two significant points began to appear on the streets, where the aliens were being exterminated.

There were three people at the first point. The most conspicuous one was wearing a blue suit and a shield with a star on his chest; the other two were less conspicuous: a girl with bright red hair and a man with a bow. Together, they took up a position as a squad and held it, making forays to help the civilians.

At the second point, there was a man in a light black jacket with the hood up and jeans. The strangest thing was that he was surrounded by numerous dead aliens, all of whom had large ice blocks embedded in various parts of their bodies. Many people looked at him with fear, but they still followed his instructions.

Only after finishing eliminating the squad near a small street restaurant did the young man begin moving toward another point. Large blocks of ice that had previously protruded from the invaders' bodies began to melt rapidly, and water from them began to flow behind the young man and form a large ball. During the next confrontation, streams of water began to shoot out of the ball using gestures, freezing along the way and impaling their targets.

The longer the battle went on, the more people joined both sides.

A large number of flying chariots and an iron flying beast resembling a whale on one side.

On the other hand, there is a blond man with a red cloak and a hammer in his hands, as well as a large green man acting like a berserker.

With such reinforcements the battle became more fierce.

The first local defense forces to arrive were dozens of fighter jets. The first salvo of missiles destroyed numerous targets, and the second destroyed a large alien "whale." With fewer enemy targets in the sky, the battle on the ground became somewhat easier.

A young man used the power of water to lift a car that had trapped a young couple. Without thinking, he misused the vehicle, launching it at the alien infantrymen who were trying to reach him.

Having built a wall of ice out of the water, he reliably blocked the passage behind which many people were hiding.

His actions did not go unnoticed by those desperately trying to defend the city from the invading army.

During a brief lull in the battle, people hiding in various corners noticed Tony Stark fly up to a young man and strike up a conversation. The young man pointed to the crowd of people hiding around him. After looking around, Iron Man handed him something and, without wasting any time, rushed back into the fight.

The battle for the city had already raged for over an hour, and more and more defenders began arriving. Helicopters and infantry in lightly armored vehicles arrived.

Many air forces were quickly destroyed, and infantry had a hard time reaching the battle zone due to traffic jams in Manhattan.

Many witnessed Thor and the Hulk destroy a large "whale" that was dropping troops. At that moment, the waterbender sat next to the body of a dying young woman, with a crying child beside her. Using his powers, he healed the mother. The young woman witnessed him use water to heal a wound from an alien weapon right before her eyes. Even as she hugged her child and sat with others, she couldn't believe what was happening to her.

When the National Guard arrived and began to protect the people, he was about to go to the site of a major battle, but such a large number of troops attracted the attention of one of the whales that had not been destroyed by the troops.

Seeing it approaching, many began to panic. Meanwhile, few noticed how the water surrounding the hooded man began to gather in one spot. He also began collecting water from nearby springs within easy reach. After waiting for the monster to open its mouth, all this water was directed at the alien giant. A large block of ice passed through the entire monster. Tons of frozen water halted its advance.

Everyone watched as the monster began to hang suspended on a thick layer of ice, impaled by numerous ice shards. After looking around and making sure everything was alright, the hero headed to another location, where there were more aliens...

"""

Steve Rogers never imagined he'd find himself in this situation: fighting alongside a god against aliens. If he'd told anyone this story from his time, no one would have believed it. But it was all true.

Their entire squad had scattered. Stark was in the sky, Hulk was wreaking havoc somewhere, Clint was on the roof, and Natasha had gone to find a way to close the portal. Now it was just her and Thor fighting outside.

He no longer knew how long they fought. But no matter how many they killed, more came to take their place. The army, of course, took some of the aliens on itself, but there were still many of them.

Stark said that there was also resistance in several blocks...

"Rogers, you have backup coming," Stark's voice echoed in his ear.

"The army approached from the other side?"

"No, it's one person."

"And how will he help us?" Captain America replied, catching the shield he threw at the alien.

"If my eyesight serves me right, it's big. At least he knows how to work with water."

"This is no time for jokes, Stark," Captain America replied, catching the shield he threw at the alien.

He didn't hear the answer, but he saw perfectly well how Iron Man dealt with several chariots.

After joining Thor in battle, within a couple of minutes he saw a large wave of water moving in his direction.

Without much time to find cover, he covered Thor with his shield and waited for the water to wash them away.

Imagine his surprise when the water passed them by and washed away several dozen aliens who were standing along the road.

"Roast them!"

"Thor, lightning!" - instantly understanding the plan, he transmitted the order to his companion.

Thor, without hesitation, used his hammer to summon lightning and send it through the washed enemies.

" Hahahaha !" the thunder god's loud laughter could be heard. "Now that's teamwork."

Turning around, the newly-minted avengers saw a man in a hood and glasses that did not allow them to see his facial features.

"Looks like you're the backup Stark was talking about."

"With our forces, we will quickly deal with them," Thor was more encouraged by the small tactical victory.

"Yes, I hope you have a plan?" The young waterbender kept behind the cars to avoid becoming an additional target.

"Yes, we have a plan, but we need to hold the perimeter."

"Okay, I'll take care of those above us," he said, showing off how he sent several ice arrows at the enemies on the walls.

Simply nodding to him, they all continued fighting, covering each other.

Steve was amazed by the abilities of the boy next to them. The ability to control water was something he couldn't comprehend. He wondered if he was like Thor.

The three of them made it easier to hold the line. In the next moment of calm, he was shocked when, before his very eyes, the boy healed several wounds using his abilities.

"How did you do that?"

"Is there really time to discuss this now?" the gaze behind the glasses pierced Steve.

"Boy, Seidr and healer, if you were in Asgard , legends would already be made about you," Thor, who had recovered from his wound, was also in shock and, inspired, began to destroy enemies with renewed vigor.

Having recovered from his wounds, Steve did not continue to fight for long before everything quickly began to spin.

Natasha was ready to close the portal, but Tony reported a nuclear missile flying towards them and he had a plan.

After launching a nuclear missile into the portal, all the aliens seemed to shut down and cease to pose a threat. Flying out at the last moment, Stark watched as he fell, but the Hulk caught him.

And now, over the non-breathing Stark lying on the ground, a guy unknown to him was already bending over, who, with the help of his abilities, restored his breathing.

" Bhau , bhau ... God, what was that?" Stark showed signs of life, spitting out some water. "What did you do to me?"

"You were saved, Stark, it's over," the fatigue from the battle was taking its toll on Steve.

"Okay, everything's fine, I guess we deserve a day off, and yes, a day off and we need to eat something. Does anyone know what shawarma is? I've heard something about it."

Even though Stark was talking more nonsense, it helped distract me from everything that had happened for a second.

"Not everyone is finished yet," Thor's serious voice reminded almost everyone of the unfinished business.

"Yeah, the day off can wait," Stark said, standing up carefully.

Steve was about to leave when he noticed that their new comrade was not coming with them.

He slowly walked up to the guy and offered his hand.

"Thank you so much for what you did. We are now forever in your debt."

"It's okay, I did it because I knew that if I didn't, it could be much worse," taking off his hood and glasses, Steve saw a young guy of about twenty-five with black hair and blue eyes.

"Whatever your reasons, you still helped many. And that will not be forgotten. What is your name?"

"Call me Alex."

"My name is Steve," they shook hands.

The young man already wanted to leave their company, and Steve wanted to keep him with them, but he didn't know how.

"Okay, stop, stop, stop. Where are you going?" - fortunately, Tony came to his aid. "You're coming with us, I'll show you my tower, see it over there," - his hand pointed to Stark Tower, which was not in the best condition.

"We've just won a victory like no one has ever won before, and we need to celebrate. I won't hold you back, you're free as a bird, but only after the victory party..." he continued, gently nudging Alex along with him.

Never before had Steve been so pleased with Tony's talkativeness.

Chapter Text

In one of the laboratories in the damaged Stark Tower. The owner of the laboratory was sitting in a chair assembling a professional Rubik's Cube. Having lined up all the sides by colors, he threw it into a basketball hoop hanging on the wall. Flying just a couple of centimeters from the ring, the cube hit the wall and fell to the floor.

"So what about Jarvis?" Tony Stark asked loudly, disappointed with his mistake.

- Alexander Dmitrievich Ledov. Born on December 30, 1987 in Yekaterinburg. Studied at school number 147 until he was 12. The next entry about him is in 2005, 6 years later. He entered a higher educational institution in St. Petersburg. He graduated as an external student in 2 years. He has patents for several medical drugs. He has a doctorate in genetics. And received a Nobel Prize for his contribution to medicine. His parents died in 1999. - The artificial intelligence reported his data by scrolling through photographs on a holo monitor.

- So it was him I was supposed to meet, but Coulson gave me something more important.

- Yes, Mister Stark. Dr. Ledov had been in Stark Tower for several days. When the portal opened. He looked out the window for a while. Then he used his powers to knock it out and jumped from the 15th floor. The cameras recorded many of his actions.

- So he is one of the mutants?

- The probability of this is 97.6%.

- How interesting. Many people discuss people with paranormal abilities behind closed doors. And at this moment, gods and aliens appear in our lives. The world is really going crazy. - Tony shared his thoughts with the "butler", taking a sip of whiskey.

- I informed Miss Potts that you drink alcohol.

- You can't do that when I have such a doctor at my side.

- Doctor Ledov is currently at the aid station. And he is not your attending physician. Your attending ..

- I know. That's not the point. He's been there for almost 3 days now. We can't even really talk. It's good that he didn't run away right after his people arrived.

- Many Russian agents are now around the tower and are watching him and every member of the "Avengers". After the demonstrative freezing of one of the agents who tried to take Doctor Ledov away by force, no one from the special services has contacted him anymore.

- Are they following? - A small smile appeared on Tony's face.

- They are trying, Mr. Stark. They can't get anywhere. There are enough agents of various special services around now, who pass on everything they can to their handlers.

- Okay. Is there anything else interesting?

- Yes. - there was another row of photos of the young man with different people. - Dr. Ledov has quite a large financial portfolio. Much of this money came to him from different figures from all over the world. Politicians, businessmen, celebrities, they all handed over significant sums after meeting him.

- No wonder. A person with such talents can earn money very easily. The ability to heal people is like magic. - The excitement was heard in the billionaire's voice - It's a pity I didn't know him earlier. Maybe I wouldn't have to suffer from palladium.

- According to my calculations, Dr. Ledov would be able to completely cure you of palladium infection with a probability of 14.35%. But if he were to conduct regular treatment, it would not encourage you to look for a permanent solution.

- What about the shield on him? - Stark interrogated his electronic assistant, trying to understand with whom he would have to do business.

- The shield tried to get to him. But it seems they weren't very successful. The doctor himself kept his distance, and there was silence to the questions of everyone he came into contact with.

- It's obvious. If a person with such capabilities helped you, then you will keep it a secret at least so that you can contact them again. Especially at a time like this.

- I came to the same conclusions, sir.

- That's right. Good. Let me know when he's free. We still haven't had a meeting.

Yes sir, Mr. Stark. - The AI said, watching as its creator went on about his business.

Most of Manhattan was affected in one way or another. Many victims. Damage that will take a long time to clean up. Rescuers are working all over the city. Many people have left the city for the near future. But there are also brave souls who have arrived in the city. Volunteers, various scientists. During the invasion, the world froze. This event was called the "Battle of New York".

When it became known to everyone that those people who had contributed most to containing the aliens were called "Avengers" (nobody knows where the name came from) there were many statements from everyone. Many presidents, various media personalities, ordinary citizens all over the world, they all said what they thought was necessary, but they all had something in common. They all thanked the Avengers for their fight against threats that the world was not yet ready to fight.

If the madness on the Internet was simply people showing their vision of the situation, then in New York itself things took a completely crazy turn. All the services that helped in clearing the city, searching for the wounded and providing first aid had to work on average 12-16 hours a day. And then people who realized that they were already safe began to interfere with them, trying to snatch something alien, get into the protected area or just interfere, trying to get some news to put on the Internet or pass to the news agency.

In one of these places there were a lot of people - it was an aid station for the wounded. It was always busy there. A small tent city was organized right in the middle of the city streets. Dozens of soldiers and special service agents were on duty to protect and calm the wounded. In one of the largest tents, the wounded were periodically brought in. Less often, healthy people came out of there or people were carried out whose lives were no longer in danger. Also, bottles of water were constantly brought into this tent.

In this tent, many doctors were trying to help the wounded. A young man was constantly moving between them, followed by a soldier with a container of water. Having run up to one of the doctors, a man of forty who was trying to stabilize a woman, the young man makes several passes with his hand and the water begins to move towards her, covering many areas. Having stabilized the woman's condition, the doctor who performed the operation nods, thanking her for her help, and quickly finishes the operation. Several dozen minutes later, the doctors, having finished with the girl, exhale.

Having looked around and realized that their help was not needed now, the doctors began to get themselves in order while their assistants began to take the girl away and remove the used equipment.

- Thank you for being with us now, - said the doctor washing his hands after the seventh operation of the day. - I'm afraid to imagine how much we would have lost if it weren't for your help.

- You're welcome, but it's nice to hear gratitude from professionals, especially if it's deserved. As far as I know, our work will soon be over for the time being. The government has attracted many people from all over the country who are now working in shifts.

- Yes, that's true, but I don't think you'll have even a little free time. - A sad smile appeared on the doctor's face as he sat down on the nearest chair. - If nothing happens , I'll be replaced in an hour and I'll be able to rest and sleep a little.

- Yes, there are reporters all around just waiting to come by and take an interview.

At this time, a person entered the tent who had gained no less popularity in the last few days, and in some circles even more. Red-haired with bright blue eyes, her gaze was sharp and penetrating, and her body was fit and strong. She was dressed in a light black jacket and jeans. Seeing the doctors, she immediately went to them.

"Alexander Dmitrievich," she greeted, nodding to the doctor sitting next to her, "I hope everything is okay with you?"

- Miss Romanoff, nice to see you - he looked her up and down - glad you're feeling well. If you're talking about that conversation, I'm busy right now.

- That's exactly what I'm talking about. A group has arrived now to replace you. There are enough of them so that they can help people and give you a window in your "very busy schedule," the spy immediately stopped the attempts to avoid contact. - That's why I ask you to come with me. I can guarantee that there will be no interrogations, and you can leave if you think it's necessary.

"Okay, let's go," he agreed with a heavy sigh, afraid to imagine what would await him.

After saying goodbye, they headed for the exit. As soon as they left, the vigorous activity around the camp was noticeable.

"It seems she wasn't lying, there are a lot of people here" - there were people constantly walking around them, carrying something or setting something up. This activity had been going on all the time he was here, but now there were just too many people. There were a lot of cars parked around the camp, but the hardest part was still ahead.

A lot of people were standing around the fenced area. As soon as the "heroes" showed up, the bacchanalia began.

"I'm like a popular rock star." - people were just going crazy, many cameras were pointed at them, different people like fans who came to a concert of their favorite star. Trying to hide his irritation, he moved after Natasha. "It would be better to go do something useful than to sit here and look out for people who don't care about you . "

The path to the car was short, but even there there were people who rushed at them. It was not even clear for what purpose, whether to hug or kill.

As soon as they sat down, Natasha immediately directed them away from this place.

- It must be hard to become so popular so suddenly? - there was a slight smile on his face.

- I was already famous, though not so widely, just like you, Miss Romanov , - he answered, looking out the window at the destroyed city, - but I can continue to work with such fame, but now it will be harder for you, when your job is to stay in the shadows.

- I agree - a shadow of discontent appeared on her face - but I can change the assignments and continue to work with this fame just like you, Mr. Ledov. - This time they both smiled.

The car stopped near the Stark Tower. They got out of the car and went inside. The tower itself was in the epicenter of the fighting and suffered greatly from it. So it was amazing to see how many functions of the building continued to work even with such damage.

- What happens next? - The silence in the elevator haunted him.

- A lot has happened lately, this is just a little party to relax a bit. We'll all have a lot of work to do, and you're not the only one who was practically forced here.

- And who else is so "hardworking"? - There was no answer, only a mysterious smile painted her face. - Then I warn you, if someone suddenly wants to get me drunk, I will not be responsible for the consequences.

- I have no intention of doing this...

- I was just warning you, I'm sure there are a few umm ... humanoids out there who like to drink and argue. - Their eyes met and Alex read in her eyes that this thought had already occurred to her.

Alex's fears were premature. The meeting that was needed more by Thor, so he celebrated more. The next day, Loki was scheduled to return to Asgard with the Tesseract . Because of this, the god of thunder wanted to meet his comrades in arms once again. The "Party" itself was very calm, Thor, as the initiator, tried to get everyone drunk. Tony played along with him as best he could. But the people they were on the team with were tough nuts. Everyone had their own reasons not to lose their heads, so their attempts were not very successful. There was also an opportunity to discuss with Stark the issues that interested them, and while they were talking away from everyone, one spy closely followed the conversation and tried to understand what it was about.

The most memorable moment was when Thor again reminded about his "divinity" telling about his adventures in the form of fights and feasts after them. So Alex decided to joke on him. Using his abilities, he pulled out all the alcohol that was nearby and created an " alcoholic" statue of Thor who stood in a victory stance. Everyone watched in fascination as he used his abilities and how several streams of water transformed into a statue. Everything would have been fine, only this statue looked strange, it was not the personification of strength and masculinity , but rather laziness. Because the belly was very big. Thor's indignation was explained by the fact that in some legends he was remembered and described exactly like that. After the explanation, the face of the God of Thunder was very red and this is clearly not related to intoxication.

The next day, Alex watched as Thor and Loki used a strange device to travel back to Asgard . After assessing the work that the scientists had done, everyone began to disperse. Everyone had a lot of work to do.

- Good afternoon - this is the program "secrets and facts" today with us is ufologist and candidate for a doctorate, Dr. Mazov. Thank you for coming. Our viewers would like to know as much as possible of your opinion on recent events.

"Of course, now we will educate the common people on how to live," Alex reasoned, listening more than watching, frying potatoes in his two-story modern house.

- Two weeks have passed since the event that turned the public worldview upside down - a man unknown until recently tried to take full advantage of his moment of fame. - religious communities began to develop seriously all over the world. People who were previously considered, roughly speaking, crazy suddenly became very popular. Of course, it couldn't have happened without people who believed in something and began to propagate their view of the world. The mere fact of proving their existence turns the world upside down...

" Well , yes, now the thought that something will hit them from space should worry the world's elites more than people who can bend a spoon with the power of their minds, " - having finished cooking, he turned his attention to the helicopter that was beginning to land - " It looks like they didn't drag it out with me ."

Having turned off the sound, Alex began to prepare for the arrival of the guests.

A couple of minutes later, while sitting and having lunch, several well-armed soldiers practically burst into his door, followed by an elderly man of about 60 who had lost all his combat uniform, sitting and shuffling papers.

- HAVE YOU F* LOST ANY FEAR, YOU LITTLE * , FORGOT WHO YOU NEED TO OBEY, I'LL QUICKLY KNOCK ALL THIS CRAP OUT OF YOU.

The emotionality of the soldier who entered did not affect the owner of the house in any way; he sat and ate calmly, and his grin showed how this situation amused him.

- Dear General Volkov. Of course, I do a lot. Could you please explain what exactly caused such an emotional reaction? - The general's face turned even redder from such impudence.

- YOU STILL NEED TO EXPLAIN, YOU LEFT THE COUNTRY WITHOUT PERMISSION, REVEALED YOUR ABILITIES, RESISTANCE WHEN THEY TRIED TO TAKE YOU. YOU DID NOT MAKE CONTACT. - the general's face bared its teeth - I can also add conspiracy, espionage and a dozen more articles, with which you will definitely be locked up and you will no longer be able to ask anyone for help.

- How interesting, but I have completely different information - the calmness with which Alex sat made the general think. - For example , Mr. President was VERY pleased with my work and asked me to come to the Kremlin in a few days for a personal conversation and presentation of the award.

The blow to the table was strong , showing that there was still power inside the large body – I don't care about him. You're still alive because we allow you to live.

- Comrade General - the seriousness in his voice made the soldiers in the room grip their weapons more tightly - you've probably forgotten what happened the last time I was threatened like that.

The general's face quickly turned pale, and the memories of the many dead people quickly sobered him up.

- Alexander - it was hard for him to calm down - you were supposed to keep us informed, that was the deal.

- Plans have changed - at that moment, recordings of battles with aliens from eyewitnesses appeared on the TV. - Everything has changed, now nothing will be like before. I will not be your dog anymore.

- It doesn't change anything, everything...

- This changes everything! - The master of water control looked at the master of shouting at his subordinates - I am now a public figure. Now if you want my services, you will have to negotiate with me, I will no longer be an errand boy.

- You understand who you're dealing with, right? They won't leave you alone. - The general had his orders and he had to carry them out.

- They will leave it - Alex answered, looking confidently at Volkov - or do you want to report that you had a person with such potential working for you, and you didn't tell anyone about it? Do you know that this smacks of treason?

Volkov immediately imagined the consequences of such a revelation, imagining the storm that could be caused. His face became serious, and he slowly shook his head.

And this - Ledov put a flash drive on the table - is my insurance, if you interfere with me , this data will go online.

- What's going on there... - connecting the flash drive to the portable reader, the General looked at the data, then turned his hard gaze to Ledov - where did you get this?

- What difference does it make, just know that if we don't come to an agreement, no one will get off easy. - The soldiers felt the tension hanging in the air and understood that if a fight started and they couldn't stop it in the first moments, then they wouldn't leave here.

- Hmmmm . Okay, if this information doesn't go anywhere, then we won't flatter you, but if you...

- Sooner or later our interests will intersect anyway. Then we will have a shootout. - The look of the blue eyes became even brighter, showing readiness for battle.

The general nodded and headed out. The soldiers, keeping an eye on the owner of the house, went after their boss. A few minutes later, Alexander was standing by the window and watching the helicopter fly away.

- Bastards. When it comes to breaking in, knocking down doors, they are the first, but when it comes to putting things in order, that is not up to them. - the objections were justified, seeing the door knocked off its hinges.

- Trinh trinh - an unidentified subscriber was displayed on the screen. - Hello... Yes... Yes, it's true... Thank you, now we're even... I have no doubt... until next time.

Alex stood for some time near the window, thinking about his plans.

In one of the best clinics in the country, where there were always a lot of people with complex diseases, Grigory Albertovich Solovyov sat in the head doctor's office. Sitting and sorting through papers, he analyzed the statistics of the use of new drugs that came into use with the help of Doctor Ledov. Thanks to his drugs, the chance of curing some diseases after completing courses increased by 30-40% of what it was before.

"But recent events give at least hints of understanding of how he was able to come to such decisions," glancing at the TV where the creator of the drugs himself was receiving an award from the president and this was shown on the news. "Now these drugs will become even more expensive, I hope this will not affect us so much."

His thoughts were interrupted when a letter arrived on his computer. "Lyuda, urgently gather all the managers at my place." Without listening to the answer, he leaned back in his chair, realizing that they would have a lot of work in the coming days.

A few days later the head doctor was sitting in the same way, but he was not alone. In the room were a beautiful girl reporter who could not stop the jitters on her body, a cameraman who was sitting near the entrance with a desire to smoke and the culprit of the meeting himself, Alexander Ledov.

- I hope you have everything prepared for my operation? - Ledov was determined.

- Of course, the patient agreed as soon as we offered it to him. - "Although he had little choice, either to give consent or he did not last even a few months, and so if what is on the video is true, he will have a chance ."

- Is something bothering you, Grigory Albertovich? - the reporter drove him out of his thoughts.

- I don't even know. What you want to do has never been done before , and if you don't succeed... -

" That would be the end of his career as a doctor" - this thought was clear to everyone.

Don't worry, I've done something similar many times before. The only difference is that now the whole world will know about it. - The smile on the faces slightly eased the doctor's fears.

- Okay, let's go, there is a lot of work and little time.

Within minutes, preparations for the operation were underway in a separate room with the help of extraordinary abilities. Several cameras were set up, ready to film the entire process from different angles. A container with clean water stood near the walls. The patient was ready for the operation. He was under anesthesia.

There is already a full video of the operation on the Internet. But the news only showed what they considered necessary. The footage showed the Avenger from Russia manipulating water and introducing it into the patient's body. The patient himself simply lay as if asleep, the manipulations continued for ten minutes, the water that entered the person's body was clean and came out with various impurities. When the dirt began to end, the manipulations continued to remove the remains and confirm that there was nothing left inside. All the world news talked about this sensation.

While all the scientists in the world were discussing this news, the atmosphere in the Oval Office of the White House, which serves as a symbol of power and important decisions, was tense. The US President was sitting at his massive desk, with portraits of previous presidents hanging on the walls and windows overlooking manicured lawns and a garden. In front of him sat his vice president. On the agenda was news of a new type of treatment.

- How much could this affect us? - "This would be good news if it was in America, but when it happens in the rest of the country that has been in a cold war for over forty years. This is news that raises serious concerns." -

- There are those who have already approached him with some problems. They have already tried to buy him out. If it weren't for some idiots, it might even have worked out. Now hundreds of millions from the US alone are pouring into his company. It is unknown how much from the rest of the world. Matt, in a few years, has provided several medical solutions that no one else could provide. At the same time, he didn't have much money. And what will he do if he has it... - 45th US President Matthew Ellis looked at his prime minister, trying to come to some conclusions that only he could understand.

- Is there a way to get him over to us now? He seems to be on good terms with Stark. Is it really impossible to bribe him and bring him over to us?

- The last time they were seen together was when the aliens Thor and Loki left Earth. We know that they maintain contact and have some kind of agreement, but we don't know what exactly, and we don't have the right equipment to monitor it.

- The shield has a way to hack Stark, right? - the simple discussion slowly began to flow into a serious discussion - Or not?

- As far as I know, before the incident we had a way to somehow fight Stark, on his field, but now we can't do anything. - The impossibility of tracking this "hero in iron armor" irritated many in the American government.

- Okay with Stark. And what about this mutant? I don't think the Russians give the go-ahead for their systems to be tampered with like that.

- We can't listen to Ledov either.

- So Stark is involved after all. If this is...

"No. Someone is protecting Ledov," the vice president continued, checking the data on the tablet. "We don't know who exactly: maybe the Russians themselves, or maybe someone else. But as soon as our people got into his systems, a real cyber attack began on our networks.

"What do you mean?" Ellis asked, raising his eyebrows. "An attack from them?"

- Yes, that's right. We got an alarm and lost access to the data in just a few minutes. This is not just protection - this is a targeted intervention. Someone clearly does not want us to poke around where we shouldn't.

"That means he has powerful allies , " a fact that was alarming . "And that could be dangerous for us. If they're willing to protect his information like that, then he's a serious threat."

"We need to find out who is behind this defense and what their intentions are. If we cannot access information about Ledov, we risk being at a disadvantage." The silence of such high-ranking people spoke volumes.

- If you give him time, then with the support of his government, he can do a lot and take over a good sector of medical technologies in the world. This will hit our income hard.

- But we can't go against him openly. At the very least, your political opponents will eat you up right away.

- Damn... how I'm sick of them, they just want to get their hands on power - he didn't get any protection in this matter from his subordinate, the look they threw at the president said "and how did you end up here?"

- I have a lot of things to do after the incident, can I ask you to sort this matter out? - The head of the country simply wanted to deal with this annoying Russian.

"I have someone in mind," the president motioned to continue. "A company that, with a little help, could solve this issue for us. They have technology that could change the rules of the game in our favor."

"They promised to help your daughter?" the president asked, his gaze becoming more wary. A small nod from his interlocutor confirmed his suspicions.

"Okay. Do you need anything from me?" he continued, trying to remain calm.

- No, I'm already working with them. But since we have this situation, a little more injection wouldn't hurt. It will help strengthen our position and convince them to act more actively.

The President thought about it. He understood that cooperation with AIM could be risky.

- Okay, I'll give the funding instructions. But be careful. We can't afford to lose control of this situation. If they start acting too independently, it could backfire on us.

- What about the Shield?

- Okay, I'll also call Fury , let it be his headache too. - leaving one more matter for the evening, the president looked at his interlocutor - is there anything else?

He was shown a certain document.

- Damn. What's wrong with that? - the president grumbled about another problem that had appeared out of nowhere.

Chapter Text

Jotunheim —a world of ice giants, where the only constants were darkness, stone, and ice. A man rode a sled across this icy wasteland. Everything about this situation was strange: in a world where humans had never been, a man had appeared. In a world where the temperature was so low that nothing could grow, he felt at ease. The sled he rode on moved without any animal, as if following the will of its master.

Through the blizzard and icy whirlwinds, the man on the sleigh moved confidently forward. He knew that Jotunheim was not just a world of frost giants, but also a place full of ancient secrets and dangers. " At least Thor gave a good description of this world while telling us about the battle with the Jotuns ."

The sleigh crunched through the snow, leaving tracks that were quickly covered by the falling snow. The wind howled around, as if warning the intruder that his presence was unwelcome. But he had no intention of retreating. He had a goal: to find a way out of this icy world.

He'd been heading toward his goal for hours. The only source of light visible to the horizon—a light from which water flowed in a continuous stream.

A few days earlier:

Online broadcasts have been gaining momentum recently. Now, the administrator of one of the leading video streaming services noticed a strange influx of people, unusual for San Francisco at this time of year. Thinking it was simply unplanned activity from his clients, he continued his work. But after just thirty minutes, he had to revisit the issue, given the sharp increase in users. When he began to check what was going on, he couldn't believe what he saw.

"The Avenger is streaming " - this kind of thought made him drop everything he was doing and take care of this issue.

In just an hour of streaming, the number of current views increased by hundreds of thousands every couple of minutes.

The avenger himself, not paying attention to anything, simply played one of the popular recently released games.

Even the fact that he constantly spoke Russian didn't stop people from all over the world from connecting to be closer to the hero.

Of course, this couldn't continue for long; the servers weren't designed for such a load and simply shut down due to overvoltage.

Having raised his superiors, this administrator began to try to rectify the situation.

Within just 10 minutes of the outage, the company received over 10,000 complaints via email. Employees quickly attempted to restore access to their service.

When the service was finally restored, the man who had made many people change their plans and log in was no longer online. In place of his channel was a letter apologizing for such a sudden departure and promising to announce his next broadcast in advance so that everyone could prepare. In just one week, the channel had gained over ten million subscribers with just one broadcast.

For a long time, a complex of buildings has been under construction in the small town where the Russian superhero has settled. They are expected to be delivered to the client soon.

Three expensive cars pulled up right up to the entrance of one of them. Several tall, healthy men emerged from the outer cars and began taking positions that only they understood. The hero of the occasion himself emerged from the center car, offering his hand. A tall, beautiful blonde, dressed in a business suit that accentuated her feminine features, followed him. Together, they headed toward the entrance.

- Good afternoon – the manager of these facilities was very excited – I want to say right away that everything is going…

"Dmitry Mikhalych . Could you do this?" Alex nodded, trying to reassure him. "Please say hello to Anna Sycheva. She'll be in charge here." The cold blue gaze made it clear to the builder that this wasn't just a girl to accompany him.

"I want to say right away," the superhero continued peacefully, "I'm not here to accept the object. I'm just here to inspect it and give you a short tour. Other people will be arriving for a thorough inspection, and you need to be prepared for that. If you don't mind, we'll just take a look around for now."

- Of course, - the builder walked away from his customer and his companion, - if you need anything, I'll be nearby.

Walking a little further, they began to inspect the premises. Somewhere around this point, construction workers continued to work.

"I can't believe you're not lying to me," the woman began, looking around another room. "You did say you wanted to do something big, but I didn't expect it to be a hospital."

"Me too," he continued, looking from the woman to the room. "I didn't know what exactly it would be, but it's definitely medical related. In short, a lot of the surgeries I have online will be performed here. I don't want to travel all over the world, so everyone will be brought here. There's a whole complex of buildings here that service the hospital. Several buildings for staff accommodation, warehouses for equipment, and other things that need to be stored somewhere . It'll be more like a small town. My lab is nearby, which I'll expand over time."

"You've thought of a lot," the woman said, impressed by the scope of the project, "but where do you get the money for all of this?"

"Sometimes it's good to be a monopolist," the grin on his face brought a matching one on hers. "But on a more serious note, the fund I've opened is currently receiving money from all over the world. From both debtors and people who want my help."

"When you're the only one who can offer this kind of service, it's to be expected," his satisfied face began to irritate her too much, "but why am I here?"

- You will be in charge of everything here, I am not an expert in management, but we need to make sure that the hospital works, people are brought in and taken away, and there is a lot of other things connected with this, I think you know better.

- It will cost a lot.

"How can I help a friend?" A skeptical raised eyebrow revealed her assessment of the situation. "Well, of course, a good fee is included."

After the last phrase, a smile appeared on her face: "Because of our good relationship, I'm here, but I won't do anything for free."

- I know. You're here because you can sell. I'll find a way to spend the money we receive; I need it to be profitable.

Anna, imagining the scope of opportunities offered by working with such a person, anticipated the coming rain of money. "I hope you don't limit yourself to just the hospital."

"Of course not," Alex himself looked out the window, thinking about something. "Of course, everything depends on many factors, but if everything goes according to plan, then in ten years we will have a corporation that will be impossible to ignore."

"That's good." Her insistence on having more money frightened many. "But what about the local authorities? Won't there be problems with them?"

"It shouldn't. I specifically chose a place far from the capital so I could do my business without anyone bothering me. And as soon as the local officials realized how much money they'd be getting from taxes, they immediately became so nice."

- They'll steal it, of course. I like having a lot of zeros in my account, but definitely not like that. So much money at once, they won't be able to hold on.

"That's exactly why you're here: to make money. And don't worry about them. I hope they do something stupid . Then I can put my people in charge..."

- Who will do whatever we tell them.

"I'm so glad we understand each other," they said, entering one of the rooms on the top floor. "Well, this will be your office for the time being." "If you need to change anything, let Mikhalych know ."

The room was simply an empty white box. As Alex watched his companion inspect and imagine the future office, a text message arrived on his phone.

"Very interesting," he concluded on the information he received. "As much as it would be nice for me to talk to you, I have important business to attend to."

"The hero is going to save the world?" The tone of the question was more sarcastic.

- I don't know yet, but if what I see is true, it will be very interesting - in the footage that was taken on the phone, you could see how people took a step to the side and disappeared from the screen - "I doubt that they would have sent me something like that if it was just a montage."

"Assemble a team and find specialists," he gave his final instructions as he left.

- Don't tell a scientist what to do - the answer only confirmed the correctness of his choice of candidate.

Foggy Albion didn't greet its guests any differently. The sky above London was covered in gray clouds, and a fine rain fell like tears onto the pavement.

Driving around the city in his car, Alex tried to figure out what was going on.

- "Strange explosions, cars simply lose their weight, people film their friends simply disappearing, in some they return after disappearing, and in others they don't." - The video sequence shifted to a bright beam that was in the city - "Most likely it was Thor, if you believe the news about a man in a red cloak and a hammer in his hands."

A discreet black SUV was following the car Alex was traveling in. "They're definitely agents; they've been following me since I landed."

The car was moving to one of the city police stations where the witnesses he needed were located.

Having exited the building near the entrance and released the car, the Avenger didn't rush inside, waiting for his pursuers. The agents didn't keep him waiting long.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Ledov. My name is Agent Green. May I speak with you?" the pretty woman greeted.

- Good afternoon, how can I help you?

"I'd like to know what brought such a famous person to our country?" she said, starting the conversation in English without even attempting to speak Russian.

"Are you interested? Or your management?" Trying to avoid unnecessary conflict, he continued the conversation in her language.

"My superiors," the irritation was clearly visible in her eyes, "you still haven't answered."

"Agent Green, what can you tell me about the portals and people disappearing over the past few days?" Her expression was laughable. "I thought so. There are people I need in this building; they could be important witnesses and know something."

- If they are arrested, then you cannot take them away.

- So you will take them for me.

- And why should I do this?

- Look, when all the agents turned their gaze to the sky, they saw a flock of birds simply disappear in flight.

"Where did they go? Did you do something? ANSWER!" The agents' pistols were pointed at the avenger. He simply raised an eyebrow in response to their actions.

"I'm here to sort this out. So either help me or don't interfere."

Green pondered for a few seconds, then began to put away her pistol. At that very moment, a flock of birds, seemingly missing, began to emerge from the wall, startling passersby.

"I'll help! Who do you need?" What he saw made the agent realize they couldn't figure this out on their own.

A few hours later, three people were sitting at a table in a café near the police station. Alex, along with Darcy and Ian, the latter two connected by their work for the well-known scientist Jane Foster.

"Let's clarify if I understood you correctly? The three of you were investigating these anomalies, then Jane disappeared, and when she returned, she started throwing red energy, scattering the police officers. At that moment, Thor appeared and took her away."

"In short, yes—Jane's attractive assistant was glad to be picked up from the police station. And the fact that it was the vigilante who did it only spurred her on to be more helpful."

Agent Green, who returned after calling her superiors, finished her minute of reflection.

"So what did they say?" Ian asked the agent, afraid she would be told to return them.

After looking sternly at the guy, the agent finally decided to answer, but the answer was not for him: "I was told to provide you with maximum assistance and any resources."

"Of course. People are disappearing in the capital, and they can't find an answer, and then I show up, looking so handsome," Darcy smiled, pleased. "Let's start with you bringing Dr. Selvig here , and you'll all help him with whatever he needs."

- Dr. Selvig is currently under arrest for vandalism...

"It doesn't matter, he definitely knows something about all this. Darcy, I need everything you've learned about this phenomenon."

- Yes, of course, I'll get everything ready now.

- Didn't Doctor Foster forbid us from spreading...

- Yen, - the young man turned to his boss, - shut up, the adults are talking now.

The satisfied woman immediately returned to the previous topic: "Doctor Ledov, just tell me, and I'll do whatever you say…"

"First, hand over the data, and we can talk about the rest later." The others just rolled their eyes at their smiles.

Now the group stood where it all began, the area around the old buildings cordoned off. Police were all around, and Darcy was swearing at the idea of idiots damaging the equipment.

BOOM

Everyone stopped what they were doing when a boulder fell out of nowhere onto one of the cars. People began to panic and disperse. The elders tried to restore order.

Only one person looked at this calmly and with interest.

Approaching the boulder, he touched it and felt the cold from the stone.

"And how big can it get?" Agent Green cautiously approached Alex, examining the boulder.

- If we are lucky, these phenomena will pass on their own after some time.

- And if you're unlucky?

"Then it would be better to begin evacuating the city." This statement did not inspire confidence in the British intelligence agent.

- What will you do?

We need to understand what is on the other side, maybe there is an answer there.

No no No , it's dangerous. If something happens to you here while I'm around, it would be a disaster. I don't want to be jailed.

- Don't worry, Agent Green, I'm just going on a five-minute round trip adventure.

- Then it's better…

- No, this stone is very cold, which means the temperature on the other side is very low, and you don't have the right equipment.

"So you have it?" the skeptical agent couldn't let things get out of control.

Her question went unanswered. All the water in the area began to move toward its master, like snakes swimming in the grass. The water rose higher and higher, enveloping his entire body like a suit. When the process was complete, Alex felt as if he were in a small air bubble.

- It's certainly not Tony Stark's suit, but if it's that bad, I can stay there long enough to assess the situation.

- I do not give permission for this.

"I'm not asking," he said, taking a few steps and disappearing from everyone's sight.

Having entered this anomaly, it became clear that taking anyone with them was out of the question. Anyone entering wouldn't survive more than a few minutes, and there was no suitable equipment available.

Having examined himself and found no damage to his aquatic armor, the adventurer scanned the surrounding area. "Ice and rock, hmm, not much." There was no answer, but none was expected.

After walking around the area and examining the surroundings, Alex decided to return back to the rift, but there was nothing in its place.

- **** ***** you're ***** kidding me ****** - as if hearing his "indignation" the ice nearby began to crack.

Having released all the negativity from the current situation, the water lord began searching for a way out. He walked around the area again, hoping that closing one rift might open another nearby.

No miracle occurred; there was no rift nearby. But all these actions attracted the attention of the inhabitants of this world.

The Jotuns are ice giants who have called this world their home for millennia.

Three-meter-tall ice giants with blue skin and red eyes watched their guest. Several of these giants emerged from their hiding places and quietly watched their guest.

Trying to figure out where to go next, he climbed a small icy cliff. Looking around and finding nothing of note, he continued to peer into the distance.

At that moment, the attack began. One of these giants transformed his hand into an icy blade and rushed at the traveler.

While Alex stood with his back to them, he felt an unfriendly gaze on himself and was able to prepare several ice shards, one of which he sent straight into the attacker's chest.

The splinter struck the jotun's chest, throwing him back and getting stuck in him.

The water lord's smile of victory vanished as his opponent, his chest pierced by an ice shard, began to rise. He immediately launched a second shard, this time aiming for his head, but he deflected this one with his frozen hand.

While this skirmish was taking place, the other jotuns watched it and did not quite understand what to do, because they had never seen anyone who could control the ice besides them.

A cry of rage from the wounded jotun prompted the others to begin attacking the otherworlder .

Realizing that things were going badly, Alex rushed down from the other side of the cliff to create some distance between them. As he descended, he tried to gather the water around him, but the ice underneath him refused to budge, so he had to tear out a whole chunk to use as cover from the attack of the approaching jotuns .

The blow that pierced the ice shield stopped a few centimeters from Alex's head. A second later, the chunk of ice was sent flying in a single, frightened motion, along with the jotun's hand, still trapped within it. Just as he was left unprotected, his hand was struck by a shard of ice thrown by another opponent. which was formed from the wound was unnatural, but because of receiving such a wound, Alex himself began to fall, which saved his life from several more hits.

Without thinking, Alex began to raise a wall of ice several meters thick. This gave him time to compose himself. The water he'd bathed himself in once again enveloped his entire body and began to heal the effects of his injury. Once the pain subsided, it was time to respond to the attackers. The wall, which the jötuns had been battering at in an attempt to break through, began to shoot out shards , inflicting deep wounds on them. Several had managed to escape the attack and were now looking at the wall of ice, which resembled a hedgehog and had killed several of their comrades. The last two jötuns looked at each other and began to discuss something, when part of the ice wall simply sank down.

A fully healthy, yet angry, Midgardian emerged from this wall . Although his face was calm, anger burned within him.

Without waiting long for the attack, he simply launched the entire ice wall at his enemies. One of them managed to dodge and avoid being crushed, but his comrade was not so lucky. The last jötunn turned to see the wall of ice completely smash into the rock.

With a furious cry, the last attacker rushed at the alien . Transforming his hands into chunks of ice, he was literally a meter short of avenging his brethren. A large spike appeared right in front of the Midgardian, halting any further aggression from the last attacker.

The winner was given the opportunity to live a little longer in this icy wasteland if he did not find a way out of it.

After spending some time at the battle site , Alex collected a few trophies. The humanoids that could manipulate ice were of particular interest to him; an ice-covered hand , the head of one of the dead, and something functioning as a heart were thrown into a bag fashioned from ice. Lacking any clear reason to leave, the avenger sat on the elevated ground, waiting for any changes. After an hour and a half, his expectations were justified.

Somewhere on the horizon, a flicker of light appeared. Knowing that even if it was a rupture, it might not bring him back to earth, he had few options. Having fashioned himself a small sled out of ice, he set off for the flickering spot.

For several hours, he used his powers to propel his transport toward this shimmer. The constant use of his powers for so long took its toll. But he couldn't afford to rest. The water surrounding him could lose its shape, and then he would freeze here in a matter of minutes.

As he headed toward the shimmer, he saw several groups of jotuns simply watching the vehicles moving through their lands. Some of the jotuns were moving in the same direction as him, which spurred Alex to get there much faster. As he approached, Alex noticed that the shimmer was created by water flowing from the rift.

The rift itself was located about 100 meters above the ground. Looking around, there were several jotuns below the rift who were freezing the falling water and attempting to create a tower out of it to reach the rift.

For many, reaching the chasm would have been a problem. But fatigue and the hope that it was the earth itself pushed him to speed up and get out. Stopping simply pushing with his own strength, he concentrated and steered the sleigh into the chasm, as if he were Santa Claus, only without the reindeer. The Jotuns below tried to stop him, but the ice shards were no match for the icy sleigh.

One second. That's all it takes to leave the dark, icy world and find yourself in a mountainous area on the banks of a river.

Having thrown off the water he was carrying, he took a long-awaited breath that was saturated with oxygen.

- "It's so good that I'm home again" - the thoughts of an ordinary person who simply visited another aggressive planet and by the evening had already left it.

After lying there for a while, simply breathing and catching his breath, the thought struck him that he needed to get ready and find civilization. Taking out his phone, he was pierced by fear. The fear that many people experience when their phone gets so wet that it stops working. Having calmed down a bit, he decided to leave the phone and try to retrieve the data from it.

Realizing the urgent need to search for the men, the optimal solution was to go downriver. After mounting the sled again and checking their trophies, they decided to go against the current.

After swimming for about ten minutes and going around the mountainous area, Alex saw something he never expected to see.

The vast golden city that opened before his eyes was mesmerizing in its beauty. Numerous golden buildings reflected the light, creating dazzling reflections that danced across the surface of the water.

"Looks like I'll have to be an unexpected guest. I hope Thor can help me get home." It turns out the assumption about returning home was wrong, meaning the journey is still ongoing.

Chapter Text

In London, the situation was growing more serious with each passing hour. Emergency services were working at full capacity, and people were starting to report strange creatures all over the city. In some places, they might simply pass by, while in others, they would only find the remains of bodies… if they found any.

While authorities were making statements asking for calm, two objects flew over the city. One of them matched the description of Iron Man. While Tony Stark himself was landing, his companion continued flying.

- Wow. wow Hey guys, calm down, I'm here to help - he raised his hands peacefully, trying to calm the agents and the police - has anyone seen a guy who can work as a fire hose?

The agent just looked around - okay, I understood , someone ...

- Hahaha TONY STARK - a young black-haired girl ran to the super and began to tell how much she admired him.

- Okay, that's all nice, but I'm here on business...

- Are you probably here because of Alex?

"Alexa?" Tony realized that this woman knew about his target's location, but she didn't want to call him that.

"Well, Dr. Ledov," the girl tried to justify herself, "he just allowed us to call him that and…"

"I see, so where is he?" Tony's patience with the fan girl had long since run out.

"He's over there," the girl pointed to the empty fenced-in area where a rock had crushed the car, "he went in there and disappeared, and then the passage closed behind him. By the way, my name is..."

But Tony was no longer listening as he approached the fenced-off area. His suit had detected strange activity, which was occurring in various places throughout the city.

So why did you get involved in this? – Tonya's questions only continued to pile up.

The ice sleds floating down the river quickly attracted the attention of the guards patrolling the area. Upon spotting each other, Alex simply stopped the sled in the middle of the river and waited for the flying boat used by the Asgardian guards .

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" the guards didn't stand on ceremony with the uninvited guests.

- My name is Alexander Ledov, I came from Midgard and am looking for Thor, son of Odin, I am his friend - the answer alarmed the guard, it had never happened before that people from Midgard got to Asgard on their own.

"How did you get here, Alexander from Midgard ?" The guard was not yet ready to release her weapon.

- Through Jotuheim, the world of the ice giants , and into it through the rift in Midgard - all the skeptical looks of the guards disappeared when they were shown the head of the jotun that Alex carried with him.

"If this is truly what you need from our prince?" Alex relaxed a little, now that the gun wasn't pointed at him.

"I just want to get home. The rifts I got through are unstable, and I had no other way out." The guard's answer satisfied him for a while.

- We will take you to Thor , but if you're lying...

the Asgardian liked the firm answer .

The beauty of Asgard was astounding. An entire golden city, as if straight out of ancient legend, shone in the sun with its majestic towers. Every building seemed a work of art, adorned with exquisite carvings. The air was clear, as if one were in the heart of an untouched forest. Alex took it all in as he slowly moved through the airship.

Already anticipating a quick return, an explosion occurred near the largest palace, and a large alien invasion ship appeared on the outskirts of Asgard .

Well, of course, what could go wrong?

Asgard hadn't hosted a battle on its soil for a long time. For hundreds of years, every soldier knew who was supposed to go where. Many of these men were already sitting in the towers, firing back at the invaders. Hundreds of warriors were moving throughout the city to repel the enemy landing.

The entire city came alive like an anthill that had been stepped on. The small boat in which the guards were carrying the stranger turned away from the palace.

- No no "No , I need to go to Thor." The guardians, of course, didn't care about the Midgardian's wishes . The guardians themselves were preparing to join their brothers in battle. Realizing no one would listen to him, they forced Alex to take matters into his own hands. And now, a few seconds later, the three guardians are trying to get rid of the water that's seeping into their lungs. "You shouldn't have brought me here."

It wasn't difficult to tilt the lever; small, stray shots were nearby, but that didn't stop him from steering the boat toward the palace. Even with the fighting nearby, Alex managed to get the boat to the palace. But the question was how to stop it. The only possible way was to send the boat flying out the window and jump off while it was flying in. No sooner said than done. Not forgetting the guards, who were now coughing up water, Alex set off in search of Thor.

Blow, blow blow .

A beautiful, black-haired woman was currently fighting three enemies simultaneously. Using her shield as cover and counterattacking with her sword, she dispatched her enemies one by one. The last of her opponents, struck in the face by a shield, became distracted from her opponent, earning a well-deserved sword strike to the eye.

Everyone's alive—looking around, the warrior saw her companions: Fandral , a tall, blond man who'd immediately begun inspecting himself for any signs of deterioration after the battle, and Volstagg , a beefy man whose face made it clear he wouldn't mind a bite to eat after such a fight. Seeing they were all right, the warrior checked to see that a dozen guards remained alive with them.

- Hahaha, that's a fight, I need to find someone else to fight with.

- Don't get excited, my bloodthirsty friend, we first need to understand what's going on -

Sif was also concerned about what was happening in Asgard . After agreeing to go find Thor, he rushed off to find his girlfriend. As they approached the throne room, they encountered several more battles. The enemies they fought were unfamiliar, so they had to move with extreme caution. The higher they climbed out of the prison cell, the more enemies there were. Reunited with a squad of guards, they carefully moved down the corridor, but what she saw next astonished her and all her brothers in arms.

The invaders, who had previously fought them without fear of death, now ran out of the corridor from the side and rushed at them as if a monster were chasing them. Perhaps there wasn't a monster chasing them, but the stream of water transformed into a huge shark that moved across the floor as if swimming. It caught up with the straggler and began biting its target, tearing it apart. Many who fled from this watery death tried to help. Laser weapons were of little help. And gravity grenades simply restored the shark to its former size.

Invaders Seeing the Asgardian guards standing ahead of them ready to face them, and an aquatic monster behind them, the choice of where to go was obvious. Within a minute , all the enemies in this corridor had been killed, but a huge monster composed of water remained . The guards wanted to attack it, but the blonde of the three stopped them, noticing that the monster wasn't showing any aggression toward them.

At that moment, Sif noticed a man standing and staring at them from around the corner. His clothing indicated he was definitely not a local. Assessing the situation, Sif remembered Thor telling her about a powerful sorcerer he'd fought with in Midgard against the Chitauri army . The water master himself calmly approached and petted the monster as if he were a house cat. Looking at each other and realizing the tension of the situation, the shark simply dissolved into a puddle of water.

- Good afternoon, gentlemen of Asgard , my name is Alexander Ledov, I am here looking for Thor, son of Odin, and I am ready to help you if you can take me to him. - Of course, if you asked Sif four hundred years ago that she would stand and look at a person and cannot find the words , it would not have ended with one challenge, but a fact is a fact.

"Welcome to Asgard, Alexander. Thor told us of your bravery— Fandrall was always a strong negotiator , and this time Sif was glad of it—but where did you come from?"

"Do you really want to talk about this now?" the guest expressed his point of view, paying attention to the surrounding environment.

was some mistrust , now was not the time for conversation.

- How you all pissed me off - the man's comment was addressed to another person and dozens more who had visited him in recent months.

The head of the Federal Security Service was already tired of receiving "guests," each of whom asked different questions , but the gist was the same: "How can we put pressure on Ledov?" A question that had a dozen possible solutions, but if any one of them were implemented, the situation would become ten times worse.

Almost a year has passed since the first contact between the public and alien life forms. During this time, citizens around the world have gradually recovered and resumed their lives. Meanwhile, the highest echelons of power around the world are buzzing like ants. Deals that once lasted for decades are broken in a matter of days, while those you wouldn't have been willing to cooperate with a week ago are now your best friend yesterday. The first such transfer of power occurred back in 2010, when Tony Stark revealed himself to the world as Iron Man.

Anyone with even a passing understanding of what was coming began to curry favor with the United States. Even the fact that Stark himself refused to provide the technology to create the suit didn't stop politicians from making lucrative deals at virtually no cost. The United States began to exert pressure on virtually every country that could pose a threat. The only thing holding them back was the large number of nuclear weapons possessed by their adversaries.

But then came 2012, and another global power shift began. Previously, countries would, at best, simply hide a mutant from the public when they discovered them. Now, after the Russian Mutant's demonstrated capabilities, the role of mutants began to change for everyone. If you had the potential to be useful to your country, they would fight for you. Everyone understood that mutants were like nuclear bombs that could move on their own. Videos of people with superpowers began appearing all over the internet.

It only took one person to demonstrate that it was possible to become successful, rich, and loved without fear, without fearing to use one's powers, and everyone wanted the same. Of course, it wasn't all that simple; some simply wanted to achieve power through these abilities. And so we come to the crux of the matter.

During the time Ledov began operating openly, he managed to make both friends and enemies. Many in the upper echelon disliked the diminution of their power with his arrival. After all, whereas previously their word was law , now there was someone who could tell them to go to hell without incurring any consequences, while they themselves could end up under investigation (it's unpleasant when you're on that side). The support of certain elites, if not the love, then the unconditional backing of the common people, gave him freedom of action in many matters. Of course, this wasn't without merit. Ledov himself could have saved the country's budget billions of rubles in a couple of days. Helping an icebreaker in the Arctic —no big deal. Helping citizens during floods is no problem; just think about the cost of helping with the oil tanker disaster. Of course, it wasn't without merit; everything had a price. And that doesn't even include the ability to treat the sick. Therefore, raising a reputation and profiting from it wasn't just a master of water manipulation. After all, unlike the United States, where Tony Stark lived, they didn't have the same opportunity to interact with their superhero. Even the warrior suit Tony's friend wore was taken from him almost by force. Thus, the United States began to lose ground, and the countries themselves began to seek ways out of unfavorable deals.

But what was most infuriating was the recent emergence of hostile terrorist groups that were waging war across the country, causing chaos. All forces were deployed to combat them. But these weren't just bandits who decided to carve up a few streets. The people causing the chaos were professionals, the most striking character being a soldier with an iron fist and a red star on his hand. The country had enough problems. And some politicians were only interested in regaining their immunity.

"Right now, Ledov is an asset that can't be lost; it's very important for the country." The attempt to calm down was interrupted when one of the deputies practically ran into the office.

- We lost Ledov - one short phrase drove the man crazy and he started swearing right there in the office.

The battle in Asgard began to slowly wind down. No one could figure out what the invaders were trying to achieve . Their attack had been unexpected. But the odds were too great. As soon as the guards regrouped, the attack fizzled out. The King of Asgard himself , cutting down dozens of enemies with his spear, inspired the soldiers.

While the remnants of the invading forces were being secured in one part of the palace, another battle was taking place in another part.

The Dark Elf Lord Malekith pursued his goal, the very reason for this entire battle. The only one standing before him now, and his target, was Queen Frigga . Of course, she failed to defeat Malekith , but that wasn't her goal.

The current goal was to save Jane Foster. Lying and bleeding, the Queen understood that she had, if not entirely, accomplished her task. Her only regret was that she had been unable to reconcile her children, but perhaps grief over their loss could unite them.

Anger and helplessness, that's what Odin's eldest son felt now.

Realizing the attack was aimed at kidnapping Jane, Thor immediately rushed to find his beloved. Of course, while he was fighting, his mother had taken Jane to a safer location. But he wasn't allowed to search; moving from one corridor to the next, he dealt with his enemies with a ferocity he'd never encountered before. Having cleared the corridor, his friends caught up with him, along with someone he certainly didn't expect to see there. Of course, there would be time for greetings and feasting later; now, battle awaited them.

, Thor couldn't imagine that while searching for Jane, he would find his mother lying on the floor, bleeding. The face of Malekith , who had fled from them under the cover of his bodyguard, would be remembered forever by the god of thunder.

Malekith's retreat . Then anger and helplessness set in. Anger at what Malekith had brought to Asgard , and helplessness at the thought of being powerless to do anything while watching his mother die. So he didn't even realize he was watching his comrade-in-arms now sitting next to his mother, calling out to him.

-...or. Thor Thor . Wake up. Quickly, here. - looking at Thor's empty gaze, Vlexa I had to lean over to cheer him up with a punch to the face - wake up, ****, do what I say

There was a moment of confusion from the blow and the thunder god himself seemed to come to his senses.

- Listen to me carefully, on my command you will send a lightning bolt into your mother-

- But But -

"Do as I f*cking say. One, two, now." As lightning coursed through Frigga's body , her heart beat a few times, enough for Alex to latch onto her with his abilities and artificially maintain her heartbeat while simultaneously trying to heal the wound from the sword strike.

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?" At that moment, while everyone was distracted, the King of Asgard himself entered the room . Seeing his beloved lying on the floor in a pool of blood, he immediately rushed to her. But he was stopped by his own son, Thor, asking what had happened here.

- Father. Malekith attacked Mother. Now my friend is trying to help her, please don't interfere.

Having carefully examined his beloved and realizing she was still fit to be grazed, the King of Asgard called for healers. While issuing orders to his commanders, Odin began gathering information on the battle, occasionally glancing at the Midgardian who was restoring his wife's wounded body with water. The battle may have ended, but the damage Asgard had suffered would take a long time to repair.

In one of London's cheap bars, a woman in a nice business suit stood out among the local drunks. And the way she poured one drink after another gave some brave souls a glimmer of hope for a good night out.

- "Damn you, Ledov, damn you, Jones, how I hate you!" Elizaveta Green, throwing down another glass, cursed those responsible for her situation.

After Ledov's disappearance, her handler, Jones, informed her that she would have to shoulder all the blame for Russia's actions. Therefore, she was removed from the case. After "sending" Jones back to the womb, she went to the nearest bar.

Elizaveta sank back into her thoughts. She knew that the solace of alcohol was a temporary solution. But right now, it was important to her to simply disconnect from reality and forget her problems, even if just for a few hours.

As she was reaching for another shot, she paused as the noise in the bar suddenly died down. Looking around, she saw a bright beam of light in the window, breaking the usual darkness of evening London. Realizing something unusual was happening, she headed outside. Everyone nearby was staring at the beam. When the light disappeared, everyone began whispering in fear.

Remembering it wasn't her problem anymore, Green went to continue her unfinished business. After hypnotizing the glass for a few minutes, she finally brought it to her lips again. But this time, too, she didn't down the high-proof liquid. One of the culprits in her situation entered the bar along with several other agents.

"Green, consider yourself lucky. That conversation never happened," said a man of about forty, perfectly fitting the description of a secret service agent.

She looked at him with bewilderment. "What do you mean?" she asked with obvious displeasure.

"Ledov's back. And he's not alone. Let's just say he wasn't pleased that you were simply dismissed. So I'm asking you to come with me and help." The words came with great difficulty to a man unaccustomed to asking his subordinates.

The girl looked at her boss for half a minute, drank the lonely glass, and went forward without waiting for the others.

Just ten minutes later, Elizaveta returned to the special control area. It had become much noisier since her last visit.

She saw Ledov , who was now talking with Stark, and next to them stood Thor, who was holding a girl who matched the description of Jane Foster.

She tried to maintain her confidence as she approached the group, but the alcohol she had consumed was taking its toll.

- How nice that you are with us, Agent Green - a sly smile adorned the water manipulator - I have two pieces of news for you.

- Let's start with the bad one - even though her body didn't obey her well , she had enough courage.

- London will soon become the site of a battle with a hostile alien faction.

"Is it good?" the question was voiced more like a reflex.

"We have a plan." The girl considered the information for about ten seconds. "WHAT?" And now it seemed like the information had gotten through to her.

Chapter Text

Standing in front of a business center, a middle-aged brunette wondered if she should go ahead with her plan. After some further deliberation, she finally made up her mind and took the first step toward the building's entrance.

After providing her information at the entrance, she was escorted to the desired floor. The secretary let her in almost immediately. Inside, a luxuriously appointed office with well-equipped technology and furniture awaited her. A blonde woman in a business suit sat at an expensive desk, working with documents.

The person she saw was not the one she had planned to meet, which left her confused.

"Good afternoon, Ms. Hanson . Please sit down. My name is Anna Sycheva. You were looking for a meeting," the office owner greeted amiably.

"I thought there was a meeting with Dr. Ledov here. I don't think so..."

"Alexander is unavailable right now," Anna tried to reassure her guest before he left the office. "At the moment, everything related to his assets goes through me. He entrusted me with developing the company while he's busy. Besides, for several days now, you've been corresponding with me instead of Alexander." Anna pulled out her phone and showed him the correspondence.

Knowing this wasn't just any employee, Maya was still wary of acting openly with someone she'd never met. Sighing, she finally decided to take the plunge. Taking a small folder from her bag, she silently handed it to the office's occupant. Anna spent a few minutes looking through the folder and glancing at her guest, trying to absorb the information.

"What do you want for this information?" The folder contained a very promising project that Ledov would have liked. While he might not fully understand all the terms, the information was written in a way that was easy to understand.

"I need protection and guarantees on certain issues." Knowing there was no turning back, Maya decided to continue the conversation, despite her inner doubts.

- What you brought could change the world, why did you decide to betray your employer?

- I'll tell you everything when I talk to Alexander.

- Okay, then I'll start preparing the documents and let him know that we need to hold a meeting.

While business negotiations were taking place in one place, preparations for battle were underway in another. Many didn't understand what was happening, and two police officers were posted to prevent anyone from passing.

"Steve, do you think London will become the second New York?" asked the first, taking a sip of coffee.

"I don't know, Dave , but what's happening isn't doing much good." They were stopped and told not to let any civilians through.

"And those guys in golden armor, like knights. Could it have been Thor who brought them? Many saw the beam of light pass several more times, and each time more and more people in armor appeared."

- I hope that they won't send us to solve what everyone is gathering for.

"Well, yeah, Iron Man, Thor, Aquaman ( title still in the works), and a bunch of military agents—those guys are like roleplayers. I'd rather stay somewhere far away." Everything was kept secret, but civilians were being escorted away from the potential battle zone.

- I agree that whatever is planned there will be a big mess.

The next day, several blocks of London were evacuated. The area was deserted except for a large man in a red cloak and the girl he was supporting.

"Thor, I'm afraid things are getting worse. Are you sure Malekith will come?" The dark circles under Jane's eyes were terrifying to look at. Veins were visible all over her body. The aether that was in her will soon kill her completely.

- Yes. We are convinced that Malekith He knows we're here. If he doesn't come now , everything he's done will be pointless. So he'll definitely come for you.

"I believe, but I'm scared," the man responded by simply hugging her, giving her warmth and confidence.

While the couple were embracing, a dark elf ship approached them in stealth mode. Having revealed itself, Thor assumed a fighting stance. He knew they wouldn't attack with the ship's weapons, but there could be other tricks.

After watching for a couple of minutes, the invaders themselves began to descend from the ship . Leading their delegation was Malekith himself . Seeing the enemy's face, the urge to throw a hammer at him grew stronger with each passing second.

"And here we are, unwilling to give her to us, yet willing to sacrifice all the worlds just to let her live a little longer." Malekith stood on the dais, his voice confident and menacing, as if he were not just a leader but the very essence of darkness. His followers gathered around him, their eyes burning with greed and hatred. They awaited his command, ready to fulfill his every wish.

"Yes, I'm ready to do it, but if you think you can take over worlds with this power, you're sorely mistaken." Thor held his hammer threateningly the whole time, hinting at how exactly it would interfere. "I propose a deal: you take the Aether, and then I'll kick your ass."

"How vulgar! I expected more from the Prince of Asgard , but I'm willing to take the aether for this. Kill him." At that moment, Malekith's soldiers attacked Thor. The dark prince himself went to the girl.

The fear on her face pleased the leader of the dark elves. While Thor was fending off the attack, he decided to take the plunge and snatch the ether. Jane's scream echoed throughout the surrounding area. Thor, who had sent the elf flying with his hammer, looked at Jane and paid for it with several blows.

- Hahahahaha - Jane's body fell limply to the ground, and Malekith didn't hesitate and began to absorb the ether.

Seeing the body of his beloved lying on the ground and not moving, Thor did not hesitate and flew away from the meeting place, capturing the former vessel of ether.

After flying several hundred meters, the couple simply vanished. However, an explosion appeared in the place of the dark elf king.

In a remote location above the Earth, a small group of people stood. Tony Stark in his battle armor, Alex with several doctors and equipment for treating patients, and Fandral with several Asgardian guardians . They all waited for Thor to complete his part of the task. Currently, all nine realms had rifts that allowed passage among them as if entering a different room.

- Commander, order us to kill the goats - Tony's frivolous attitude towards what was happening irritated everyone except Alex.

Thanks to his equipment, he was able to see what was happening on the other side of the fault and understand when to expect the bait.

"And here's Superman with Lois," Thor said, without thinking, placing his girlfriend on the couch where Alex immediately took hold of her, and several doctors assisted him. Thor himself, his gaze fixed on her.

Big guy, don't get distracted, we're following the plan - Tony does have some kind of core after all - trust Alex, he helped your mother and he will help her.

"Thor, don't look at me like that. She'll be fine, she's just in shock. I'll just restore her a bit and hand her over to Fandrel ."

- Thank you, friend - Thor exhaled heavily and perked up - I am in your debt.

- Then start by making them regret that they even thought of attacking your home. - Looking at Tony, the thunder god turned his gaze to Fendrel , receiving a nod and from him Thor went through the rift to battle.

If you look at Iron Man's sensors, you'll see a map of London with numerous green and red dots. Some minor adjustments to the map increased the red dots in some places, allowing the green dots to be in the majority.

- Dear warrior, please explain to me what is going on , otherwise Thor was not stingy with explanations after I became the guardian of his lady.

Stark looked at the curious Asgardian and drew a map of London with many dots.

"After I gained access to the rift research and a little help from Jane, we were able to create equipment that could be used to manipulate these rifts." After a couple more manipulations, the number of markers changed, with more red ones in some places and fewer in others. "Thanks to this, I'm now separating this Malekith's soldiers so our people can deal with him with fewer losses."

"What's that?" Fandral pointed to the new red dots that appeared in the sky.

"It looks like these are new guests." A look at the camera revealed several dozen spaceships entering Earth's airspace. " Rhodey, I'm sending you the coordinates. Hey, water spirit, how long will it be?"

- A couple of minutes, don't rush me - Tony wanted to join the battle , but according to the plan, he was waiting for Alex to be free and for them to go to the rescue together.

If a British military officer had been told a week ago that he would be fighting aliens, he would not have believed it.

Of course, the battle in New York showed us we weren't alone in the universe. But that seemed to have faded somewhat. But now, firing at creatures not from this planet, he feared for his future.

Command put them all in their places and told them the battle would begin at any moment. After sitting in some jungle for half a day, a second later he found himself back in London and a firefight had begun.

Many of his comrades had already been killed. The alien weapons pierced any armor the British soldier wore. Some were less fortunate, caught in some kind of gravity grenades. Watching his friends turn into minced meat only angered him and made him want to shoot them all. The warriors in golden armor sent from another world fought well, using their shields to protect the Earthlings as best they could.

Now, sitting behind the wall, several people were preparing for the last attack before they were pinned down.

But suddenly, the enemies pressing them simply vanished. Everyone involved was given a brief explanation of what it was. But seeing people simply appear and disappear was like magic for many. This gave him time to regroup for another position. As he moved, he looked up at the sky and saw ten more small ships, each like a pile of scrap metal that had somehow managed to fly. Realizing that the enemy had received reinforcements, the only thing he could do was move toward his own.

Ten small frigates of various space rabble appeared within fighter range.

Receiving the order, a squadron of ten units circling the city headed toward the unidentified objects that had entered the atmosphere. The order was simple: destroy them all. If possible, do so outside the city.

Trying to intercept, the pilots fired their first salvo. The missiles launched at the alien ships hit only two of them, one of which struck its energy shield. But even a direct hit on the spacecraft had little effect, and the ship itself was able to continue the fight. Such a high rate of misses was due to the superior armament and maneuverability of the ships themselves. Half of the pirate fleet that entered space was dispatched to intercept the British Air Force, while the rest returned to the ground. Realizing the battle would not end quickly, the pilots requested backup. Due to their reduced maneuverability, the recent hunters became the hunted and were pursued. A warrior joined the chase. Using a volley of shoulder-fired missiles, he was able to hit the vulnerable points of one of the ships, which began to plummet after the impact. The warrior's small size helped it avoid numerous attacks and allowed it to command the battle. By drawing attention to itself, the warrior was able to free the fighter pilots, who began to circle again to fire another salvo. After 10 minutes of fighting, only four fighters remained alive against three ships. The missiles weren't particularly effective against the shields. Fortunately for the defenders, one pirate captain didn't consider this a disadvantage and fled into space. Continuing the battle could have cost the lives of all the pilots, even the warrior, who was clad in superior armor. Receiving the signal from command, all remaining fighters began to flee the combat zone, as within seconds the sky over London was filled with dozens of anti-aircraft missile explosions of varying strength. The damage inflicted on all remaining pirates was fatal. The shields couldn't withstand the impact, and debris fell heavily onto the streets of London.

Having handed Jane over to Fandral's care, Alex left the rift where they had been hiding all this time. There was no battle where they emerged, but gunshots were clearly audible everywhere .

- We need to hold out for another 5 minutes and then that Snow White won't be so dangerous -

- Tony, there's the River Thames here, I can help those who are here, and you check those ships that flew to the city -

- Okay, take care of yourself, icicle.

sighed heavily, wishing he could come up with a witty retort, but he had more pressing matters. Getting to the river wasn't difficult. The problem here was the large, T-shaped spaceship. Its weapons were powerful. And even though it was hanging in one place, that didn't lessen the danger.

Reaching the river, he began to concentrate. The muddy river, which had seemed lifeless and useless, suddenly came to life. The water began to rise, turning into a powerful tsunami that hung over the river, as if ready to strike.

The sounds of battle died down for a moment as a massive wave captured the attention of all involved. Some fighters and invaders paused, observing this natural wonder. In some areas, the battle came to a complete halt—all eyes were fixed on the watery force looming over the city.

- Show-off -

Alex ignored the voice in his earpiece, but he felt his body tense. He began slowly directing the flow of water through the streets and squares. The wave moved with incredible force, cutting through crowds of enemies and destroying everything in its path. Many earthlings tried to take cover or flee, but the flow of water passed them by—it was as controlled and precise as possible for a man handling such a massive force for the first time.

It was incredibly challenging to control such a mass of water, especially for a novice on such a scale. Alex felt his muscles tense, his mind struggling to control every movement of the current.

Eventually, the tsunami swept across the entire area, sweeping away the enemies and destroying their fortifications.

- Doctor Ledov, the time has passed since the convergence process.

- Thanks, Jarvis. Now all that's left to do is deal with the main bastard.

Everyone directly or indirectly preparing for the battle tried to keep the events contained within a specific location to avoid affecting the local population. Even after informing the city authorities of the impending alien attack, they remained skeptical. Civilians suffered for this. Information about the attack was kept under wraps among the public and ordinary law enforcement, so when space pirates began landing on the city streets, it quickly sparked panic. Of course, the ships were simply pirate rabble quickly assembled by Malekith . Their sole purpose was to sow chaos while their employer did his work. And although armed men were stationed throughout the city, they were unprepared for a ship to land in the middle of the street and a battle to break out in the middle of the city. Civilians were forbidden from leaving their homes that day. Therefore, there were few civilian casualties.

Just yesterday, Steve and Dave were standing and driving people away from the closed area, and today they were shooting at space pirates on the city streets.

- But someone suggested dismantling the armory so that everyone would be armed - Steve decided to reload while hiding behind a column.

"You won't get anything because there won't be anything," Dave was clearly quoting one of their bosses quite well, considering how irritating that phrase was.

The situation in this area was not rosy: having a greater quantitative and qualitative advantage, the pirates suppressed one policeman after another.

Many of the aliens were humanoid in shape, so fighting them was like fighting a regular shootout with painted clowns.

- FLARE GUN - Seeing how one of these pirates took out a larger weapon, Steve did not hesitate and warned his own.

A plasma charge struck the column, causing an explosion that stunned everyone. Something pushed Steve away.

When Steve came to, he found himself surrounded by a man with whom he had spent most of his time for several years.

- Dave - he shook him a little - Dave. Dave. DAVE. BITCHES. I'LL KILL YOU. - the rage simply overwhelmed him, which is why he mindlessly began shooting at the invaders .

Of course, it didn't work. He ran out of ammo early. And now he's the only one left on this street. Several of his comrades are lying wounded and waiting for help, which might not arrive.

But the music from above distracted the robbers from ending his life. As if death itself, Iron Man descended from the heavens. A beam weapon, a mini-missile, or simply a strike from a power suit. One minute, those who the law enforcement officers couldn't resist were destroyed by a single superhero from the ground.

- Help will arrive for you soon, help them as much as you can , but I have to go, there are still many Martians on Earth -

Steve himself simply watched silently as Iron Man flew away from him.

Thor stood before Malekith , his hammer in hand and his enemy on his knees. The blood streaming down his body didn't faze the thunder god.

"This is what your thirst for power has led to. The last survivors who followed you are now dead. You are most likely the last survivor—"

The battle was much harder for Thor. Never before had he faced such an enemy. The chase across several worlds and the damage from the red aether storm took their toll.

- No… you cannot defeat me. YOU WILL ALL DIE…

With a final, desperate attack, Malekith attempted to unleash the full power of the Aether in order to take as much of it with him as possible. Thor tried to stop him , but the blast wave knocked Thor back. A second later, the Dark Lord's whereabouts were vanished.

" Hey, Superman, how are you? Are you alive?" The scarlet metal armor landed next to the thunder god.

- He is not defeated yet, we must finish.

- Wait, wait - Tony managed to stop Thor, turned to the place where Malekith was and a small rocket flew out of his shoulder and disappeared into the rift - if he survives after this, then your father will finish the job.

"My king, the battle is over," Heimdall said, standing and watching the battle the entire time. The King of Asgard and his guards stood nearby, waiting while he kept them informed of the main events.

"And Malekith ?" Heimdall used his sight to find his target in his home world. He was terribly wounded. The great explosion caused by the knight in scarlet armor had dealt terrible damage to the elven lord, but still not killed him.

- He is wounded, but not killed, my king.

- Then launch the biwrest and destroy it, then we'll go get the ether.

Heimdal immediately began to carry out the order and the bivrest's engine came to life again.

Chapter Text

- The world is in panic, a new invasion... -

Click

- During the battle in London the damage was done….

Click

- I call for this mutant to be punished for his actions with our landmark...

Click

There was no need to listen to this any further, so Nick Fury turned off the TV and turned his gaze to his only agent in the room, who was standing and waiting for orders.

- Looks like the Avengers saved the world again –

Fatigue was clearly visible in the eyes of the shield director. Every day there was some kind of devilry that made the spy's brain work despite the fact that he learned a lot simply from reports.

- You planned it that way and now your plan is working –

The shield director looked at his subordinate with his one good eye and handed him the folder.

- Agent Romanov, how well do you know Ledov?

Before answering, the agent opens the folder and sees the shield's dossier on the voiced object.

- It depends on what the purpose is – the short professional answer did not surprise the director of the shield

- During the time that Ledov became known to the world, he began to act to expand his influence. The city where he settled was practically bought, considering how much money is spent on development. He is building a whole complex of buildings. He works with media services. He even broadcast several times, where he communicated with people. He donates a lot of money to charity. At the same time, he is a monopolist of services that no one else can provide. -

All this time Natasha just sat and calmly listened to her boss; the dossier had not changed since the last time she read it.

- He is gaining strength and this gives the Russians a lot of maneuvers in the political arena, the higher-ups don't like this, but they are already putting pressure on me, although the fucking assholes themselves can't really do anything.

- What do you want from me?

Fury's face remained calm, but his eyes were deeply thoughtful. He spoke slowly:

- Ledov is no longer just a mutant, but a strategic player. His influence is growing, and he is using his popularity and money to expand his control. This poses a threat not only at the local level, but also on the international stage.

He paused, then added:

— We need to understand his true goals. If he is acting for power or influence, that is one story. But if there is something more behind it, we must be prepared for the worst.

Agent Romanoff carefully closed the folder and looked at her boss:

- And what do you suggest? We have several options: try to negotiate with him, or prepare a neutralization operation. But both options require precise data and very careful actions.

Fury nodded:

"I want to find out his plans and understand how dangerous he is to us. So far, he seems more interested in strengthening his position than in open conflict. But that could change at any moment.

He looked up at Natasha:

- You will do this. Use all your contacts and resources. We need to know everything - from his financial flows to his connections with politicians.

- But why me? - Natasha looked at Fury , her face remained calm, but in her eyes there was a slight note of bewilderment and question. Fury slowly turned to her, his gaze was penetrating and calm.

— Because you are one of the few who already knows Ledov. You have already dealt with him directly, you can better understand his motivations and weaknesses. Your knowledge and experience are our main trump card in this game. In addition, you know how to act discreetly and effectively — exactly what we need now.

He paused, then added:

- I trust you. And I know that you will cope better than anyone. It is important for us to understand what his ultimate goals are, and for this we need a person who knows his language and style of behavior.

Natasha sighed, softening a little:

- Okay. Then I'll take care of it. But I want to know: what will happen if he finds out about our intentions?

Fury replied calmly:

- Then we will have to act very carefully. But while he does not suspect our plans, we have a chance to get the necessary information without unnecessary risks.

- What about Steve? I'm his supervisor now.

Fury waved his hand casually - I'll assign another agent to Rogers. Right now it's more important to understand Ledov's plans and you're the only one I can send to him who can get something useful.

- Okay sir, the order is clear. Permission to carry it out?

- I give permission, Agent Romanov .

With one of his best agents gone, Fury could only hope it didn't cause any conflict that would hit America in the future.

Sunshine, a quiet lake and some sand. What could be better to spend a day away from everyone? Helping the wounded, working with the press. Russian secret services, who tried to get me out of London faster. It was worth dividing up several spaceships between countries. The British wanted to take everything for themselves as victims, but there was just a little pressure and out of the five that survived the battle, they got only one. Of course, they didn't like it, but they couldn't do anything.

After returning and checking the current projects, it was decided to take a short vacation for myself, where there were fewer people, in order to relax and put my thoughts in order.

The house for living was specially chosen and built on the shore of the lake. Such a place was chosen specifically to always be fully armed, but at the same time it does not prevent sometimes having a good time in the sun. But even just lounging was not the purpose of this vacation. The book that was in his hands now was much more important than many textbooks, it was a gift from an extraterrestrial queen. When the conflict with the elves ended, many problems were solved and the flow of wounded ended. Thor came up and began to ask and be interested in what he could repay for helping his people. Of course, the first thought was to tell Thor that some kind of alien weapon like his hammer was needed, but such thoughts had to be suppressed, it was necessary to maintain good relations with the future king and such requests could spoil the impressions, and the ships that were transported could give a big leap in technological development, so Thor heard a refusal of his offer, which prompted the prince of Asgard to insist on his offer even more strongly. Of course, in the end the prince insisted on his own, of course my thoughts did not fail me and Thor began to express options for weapons or treasures, but to receive a request for books was a little shock for him, of course this made him think and even not knowing how to approach this reward, he turned to his mother for help who was able to help and reward his savior and solve the problem of his son. One of the books was a textbook on all languages with some notes to simplify the study. It was funny to watch the reaction of the guards when Sif appeared from the beam not far from the house and handed over several books and went back, oh how much noise it raised. It is one thing when there are military actions and Asgard uses bivrest for tactical maneuvers, another when aliens just come and give gifts to a citizen from the ruling family. Therefore, everyone who began to call and gently ask what it was all about was sent on a long journey using diplomatic language.

Time seemed to fly by while studying such important gifts. It was in this state that the guard post reported the arrival of a shield agent. Having realized who it was, it was clear that even one day to spend for oneself was too much.

- Good afternoon Natasha, it's a pleasure to meet you again. - It would be rude to continue reading when such a woman visited you, so when Natasha was escorted, the book was put aside and the spy herself was warmly greeted . Having glanced at her guest, it was difficult to tear your eyes away: leather boots, jeans that hugged her athletic legs. A leather jacket and a dark T-shirt. Fiery red hair framed her beautiful face. - Although meeting you is not a surprise, it is still pleasant.

- Hello, - Natasha greeted happily, sitting down on the chair that was brought and placed next to her, - am I disturbing you?

- It depends on why you came.

- Well, we haven't seen each other for a long time, so I decided to check on you.

- You know, you have very good qualities. But lying... Oh, no, you can lie very well too. - the voice sounded soft, but with a hint of irony. - As much as I would like to spend the company of a woman like you. We both know that this is not true. Therefore, I would like to quickly resolve our affairs, and then we can unwind.

Leaning back and taking a bottle of soda from the ice cube next to her, Natasha didn't even try to hide her goals. "Why don't you want to believe that I just came to visit you?"

- because Fury sent you to spy on me - leaning back in his chair and continuing to look straight into her eyes. - I know that your task is my re-recruitment , but unfortunately your mission will fail.

- Do you mind if I find out why? - Natasha sat and sipped her drink, it was unclear on her face whether it was important for her to talk about anything at all or whether she was simply enjoying the view of the lake.

- For me to want to re-enlist , it must be profitable for me, but as far as I know, your management cannot offer me anything useful. - oh, that female look "really" - well, look, here I can afford almost everything, but if I'm in America , they'll immediately take me into circulation, if they don't put me on the table purely for the sake of scientific interest.

- What an interesting fantasy you have. But I think you're exaggerating. Nothing happened to me.

- Well, there are several reasons for that. The first is your espionage skills, which this black pirate likes. And secondly... even though you were injected with serums to improve your body, you are not a mutant, so there is little point in gutting you on the table.

The mask on Natasha's face disappeared for literally a second, which made it clear that such a possibility existed.

- But since you were sent to join my circle, you will have to earn it by doing what I say.

- And what will I have to do? - a little coquetry was added to her voice.

It was difficult to resist, so moving a little closer to her, the words were spoken with the most obvious subtext in her ear - Whatever I want.

Natasha still didn't fully understand what to expect from this task.

After the battle in London, the world began to stir again. Aliens in spaceships, holes in the sky, constant unexplained phenomena gave a new surge of anxiety among all echelons of power. Fortunately, thanks to the avengers and the military, the earthlings got off with little bloodshed - several thousand people dead.

This time, the focus was on Thor, Tony and Alex. If the first disappeared after the battle, then the others were busy. Stark was confiscating spaceships while Ledov himself was helping the wounded. Although Natasha herself did not take part in this, she kept her finger on the pulse and studied the reports.

Of course, working for Ledov won't be like working for Stark, if she had to work undercover hiding her identity , then Ledov already knew who she was. So a different approach is needed.

Much has changed since their last meeting. If earlier Ledov was just a mutant with certain connections, now he is becoming more and more involved in global politics every day. With the reports of the shield, almost an entire city begins to live at his personal expense. He is also gathering his own personal army, although according to all documents it is simply a security service. The shield, sorting out the personal files of these employees, revealed that all of them are former military personnel and all of them have relatives who once passed through Ledov's hands, this showed that it will cost a lot to find an informant among these people, and the information itself cannot be trusted very much.

Of course, Natasha wasn't particularly worried about these people. The most important goal was to gain Alex's trust. The most obvious way to do this would be through bed. But there are several nuances here.

Firstly, Alex himself only has to wave and any women will spread out around him. Which was proven by the agents who followed him. They recorded how different women of model appearance arrived and left at different times and it is unlikely that they were business partners.

Secondly, this method worked well when her target did not know about her. Even if it worked, the information she would receive would be much less than under other circumstances.

Therefore, she had to become useful to him. But knowing that she was here to spy on him, he wouldn't let her in on anything important. And if she started sniffing around secretly, she would quickly end up at the bottom of the lake. Natasha understood that no matter how Alex treated her, spying or sabotaging would end badly for her.

all this over as they walked from the lake shore to the house. Entering a large living room, where in the center of the room stood several sofas, and between them a coffee table. On one of the walls hung a large TV where a video series was playing with a young girl in glasses with long brown hair tied in a ponytail who was throwing a basketball into the hoop.

Moving her eyes from the screen, she looked at Alex , who sat down on one of the sofas like he owned the place, indicating for her to sit on the other. On the table next to where she sat there were several folders with documents.

- And what do you plan to do to win my favor?

- I could help resolve the issue with the groups that are causing unrest throughout the country - Natasha received messages that one of those she once met, nicknamed "the winter soldier", showed up in the country and it would be a good idea to kill two birds with one stone.

- You don't have to worry about them. They're just two gangs who didn't share the street. Of course, you'll take part in this, but not in the position you might think. But before we begin, I want you to know that everything you learn today must not leave you without my permission.

- And what is this secrecy?

- You know, Natasha , when you arrived in Russia, I wasn't entirely sure why you were here, but I prepared myself anyway. You are a woman with many talents. You have already discovered some, and some you haven't. But our work together would be more useful if you finished with the shield and started working for me.

Such statements did not surprise the former Russian spy - many wanted to get her into their service, but by working for the shield she believed that she could at least partially erase her past, and she had too many enemies not to have protection, and who could provide more protection than the American spy agency.

-And why should I do this?

Alex simply nodded at one of the folders. Opening it, she was not surprised by its personal file. In this file there was a lot about her past, about her biological and adopted parents, about her younger sister. past in the red room, many of her cases in the shield. Of course, it was not everything , but a lot. Having finished studying, she looked at Alex.

- As you can see, I didn't sit idle and also got to know you better. - Having finished studying, she looked at her interlocutor, not fully understanding what he meant.

- Now you know that I can collect a lot of information, open another folder.

Looking at him suspiciously, Natasha carefully opened another folder, and her gaze immediately stopped on a photograph that turned out to be very familiar. A young girl of about twenty years old with light hair and expressive eyes was looking at her, Natasha immediately realized that it was Elena Belova, her sister. Not paying attention to what was happening around her, she began to study this folder in detail, various information and photos confirmed that her sister, whom she had lost, was alive.

- Where did you get this?

While Natasha was studying the case, Alex took out a tray with a bottle of vodka and several glasses, and lemon wedges.

- Before we begin, what do you know about the red room?

Of course, the conversation with Natasha was not easy. The spy herself did not know much about the red room. As a person undergoing training, she was not told anything except about her goals. Therefore, after the transition to the shield and the "murder of General Dreykov ", the leader of the project, she decided to discard this stage of her life.

It was personal for her, so she didn't really share the information. So I had to tell her part of my erased biography. That after the disaster with my parents in the hospital, I was diagnosed with a mutant genome, although little was known about it at that time. This information came to Dreykov . Of course, he didn't throw away potential opportunities. Several years of study and training revealed many talents, including a talent for healing. Of course, the general tried to brainwash him so that he could control such a resource, but after the death of several dozen of his scientists who died even when they put their test subject under anesthesia, he stopped this and offered a deal. His desire was due to the fact that at that moment Natasha decided to visit him and after the explosion, his daughter was very badly injured, which pushed Dreykov to do this. After several weeks of work, no one could say that the mutant in the service did not make enough attempts to bring the little girl back to normal life. Dreykov's little daughter was injured not only physically but also mentally. It took a lot of work, but she could not be completely cured. The external wounds were not so difficult to remove, but she would always remain a little girl in her growing body. Watching his little daughter having fun in his arms again, Dreykov kept his promise and released his captive, of course, not just like that and they periodically kept in touch.

The news that Dreykov was alive, and the red room was alive with him. That her sister was now working for the general under suggestion really pissed Natasha off. Holding the gun pointed at me, she tried to find out more information, but it didn't make an impression, it only caused a grin. After holding the gun pointed at me for a minute, Natasha lowered it, took a few sips straight from the bottle. And made a decisive offer "give me back my sister and do with me whatever you want."

Of course, there is no point in rushing things in such matters, so the best course of action was to send her to a room to think a little about everything she had learned. Of course, after checking that there was no connection in that room.

Right now I'm sitting and thinking about how best to use the talents of a fatal beauty for my own benefit until I was distracted by a voice from the screen

- What's so special about her that all the men fuss over her? - the young girl who used to throw the ball into the hoop now looked at the owner of the house with a displeased face, which only caused a fit of laughter.

- You already know many of her talents, you're just jealous of her appearance Yumiko - the girl of Asian descent did not answer, but simply turned her head to the side with displeasure, which made it even more funny - you better tell me what is known about our "patriot" now?

Silently and discontentedly, but the girl on the screen simply waved her hand and the image itself changed. The screen now showed a recording of a man in a suit similar to Captain America, only in the tricolor of the Russian flag. Using a shield and a pistol, he gets to one of the armed men and simply throws him into the wall. The recording itself was made from a phone in the city where clashes between the groups had broken out again. The guard himself was covered by a detachment of soldiers in modern uniforms. In ten minutes, with the help of the superior force of the guard, both groups were neutralized.

- Are you sure he will do what you say? I think he is enjoying his power - the voice of the girl Yumiko was already heard from the speaker of the phone.

- Let him rejoice, these are his enemies for now, it will be interesting to see how he will calm mutants with different abilities. Besides, he needs to build up a reputation. Otherwise, it turns out somehow ugly that America has its own super soldier, and why are we worse?

Chapter Text

A few months before the events in London:
Sitting in the helicopter, Alex watched as it landed on the helipad of one of the most strictly guarded prisons in Russia for people who were sentenced to life imprisonment, which was built back in the Soviet Union. The mountainous terrain in which the prison was located did not allow prisoners to even plan an escape, since it would be impossible to escape without outside help.
When the helicopter landed, Alex left the cabin and a welcoming officer came out to meet him. The warden was asked to provide all possible assistance for Alex , but it seemed he didn't really want to do it, so he sent one of his deputies instead.
- Doctor Ledov, allow me to introduce myself, Captain Gavrilin, today I am here to help you in your case. - the already middle-aged man introduced himself.
Did the captain bring you up to speed?
- Yes sir, you are here to meet with prisoner Shestakov.
- Okay then, let's not waste time, lead me.
The captain did not hesitate and led him to the right zone. After passing several floors, they reached the general Zone, where the prisoners were now. The captain offered to take Shestakov to a special room for interrogation, but Alex refused and simply walked forward.
A loud door opening signal informed all prisoners that the passage was open. Many prisoners paid attention to the person who entered. A young man in a good suit stood out against the general background, which attracted everyone's attention. Having looked around, he went to the person he needed who was sitting at a table surrounded by several other prisoners.
There were whispers all over the hall about who it could be. Since there was no security to move around the hall, some individuals went along with it to check their guest for lice, even if they knew that they could get hurt by the guards later. Of course, the check quickly ended when the water from the glass flew out and turned into an ice shard that went into the eye of one of the thugs. The fall of this thug on the floor attracted everyone's attention, and the fact that the guards did not react to such actions calmed everyone down and freed the passage to their target.
A man in his forties with a good build for a man who had spent more than fifteen years in prison. With a flowing beard, many tattoos all over his body and a strong gaze, he looked at the approaching guest with a searching and even slightly challenging look.
- Good afternoon, Mr. Shestakov, my name is Alexander Ledov. I am here to talk to you and offer you a job if you pass the interview. - The former red guard looked at Alex seriously, and then looked at the corpse he left lying on the floor.
- What exactly do you want, Mr. Ledov? - this was said more with mockery than with respect, Shestakov understood that playing with such a person was dangerous, but he had nothing to lose and here was such entertainment.
- I need information and your skills that can be useful to the country.
- HAHAHA, look around - the prisoner showed his surroundings with sweeping movements - this is where working for the government brought me. I ended up here in this hole. And now you, young suit, want something. What can you offer me?
- I can offer you everything you lost and even more. - a calm and confident voice made the former guard calm down and think, and at that moment a photograph appeared in front of him.
This photo showed Steve Rogers in the Captain America costume.
- Here's a quick reference. Captain America, the likeness of which you are, is alive now. He is becoming the new symbol of America. Of course , their scientists cannot yet reproduce the super soldier serum, but who knows, maybe at some point they will succeed.
- So I'm needed only as a counterweight. And if he hadn't appeared, I would have stayed here. Well then, I'd rather stay here, and you give your jacket to your superiors that you won't be able to use me. - Having finished his speech, Alexey was about to get up and end the conversation.
- Before you go, I want to clarify. I do not work for the government and am here on my own initiative. Up there, no one cares about you and what you do, but you can be useful, and I have something else for you.
Two more photographs appeared in front of Alexey. One was of Natasha when one of the reporters managed to get a full-length photo of her, the other was of Elena, who was captured by one of the surveillance cameras.
No one could call Alexey a decent family man, but he was able to recognize two grown-up little girls.
- And what does that mean? - the guard's look said that he didn't care about the consequences and he could pounce on his interlocutor no matter what the result would be.
- It means that if you do what I say, I can make sure that the next time you meet them, they won't kill you, and if you're lucky, maybe you'll be able to go to a bar and pour out your soul to them. How's that for a deal?
Alexey looked at the photographs in front of him for a long time. The two little girls he tried to be a father to have now grown up and become beauties, and judging by the photographs, they certainly did not go on to live a quiet civilian life, which is partly his fault.
- You can really do what you say - Alexey's whole demeanor instantly changed from confident to excited, thoughts of family reunification and many missed opportunities flooded his mind.
- Here everything depends not only on me, a lot will depend on you too - there was not much time to watch the former super soldier think, so it was decided to push him - unfortunately I do not have time to tell about all the pros and cons of our future work, so we will do it this way. The next two minutes after I leave, the guards will not touch you, you can follow me or stay here, it is up to you.
After which Alex stood up and calmly went straight to the exit. Alexey Shestakov himself , realizing that the moment he had thought about a lot earlier while sitting in prison could run away, went after him.
Alexey, hastily following, left the photographs on the table , to which other prisoners quickly began to gather.
- Uhhhhh what birds today I'm bukhpvro - before one of them even had time to touch the photos, Alexey simply connected his face to the table of this person. After which he took the photos and quickly went out.
****
A week later, tests were being conducted in one of the laboratories that was under Alex's control. Alex ran, jumped, moved heavy things. Many of these actions were connected not only to check how much stronger he was than an ordinary person thanks to the serum, but also to get him into shape. Over the course of several decades, Alex had lost most of his shape. But thanks to the serum and following all the doctors' rules, the belly he walked with had already begun to noticeably decrease, and muscles began to appear on his arms.
Of course, getting back into shape is important, but to make a competitor to Steve, Alexey also needed to get his thoughts in order. During the helicopter flight, they discussed what exactly would happen and the Soviet super didn't like much of it. On the first day of working with a psychologist, he had a breakdown and the doctors who were talking to him were able to save him at the last moment by snatching him from the super soldier's hands. After that, the measures were tightened.
Work was also done on everyday life skills. It was necessary to renew his knowledge of history, new weapons that had appeared recently, the political situation, new military tactics. Taking him to some films or just walking around the city was also useful, so that he understood that he had not exchanged one prison for another.
All this had to be done against the backdrop of news of constant fighting between factions on the country's territory, which only encouraged the guard to put on a suit and go into battle, or sometimes even without a suit.
- Let me go to the field, I'll roll over them like a steamroller, and they won't even understand what hit them - of course, Alexey watched the news, and they couldn't ignore the fighting in the country, so having gotten himself into shape a little, he thought that he could already start doing what he was pulled out of prison for.
- Alexey, calm down - the conversation took place in the gym of the laboratory where Shestakov was hitting a specially weighted punching bag - I understand everything, but you are not ready, now you need to bring your mind into at least a semblance of order. No matter how much you want to, you will not be able to help everyone. But the way you show yourself can change the situation much more. Look at me, I do not run after criminals every day, but as soon as I appear somewhere, all conflicts cease, because they understand that I am not the police and will not arrest, a small compaction of water and a stream of water works no worse than a saw.
Of course, many people didn't like this characteristic. But it was very helpful when Alex had to participate in battles against firearms. Once, when there was a call to help free a ship from pirates, those who came to accept the ship after the water manipulator were shocked by the bloody massacre that took place on the ship. Of course, this got into the media, but no one was too worried about it as long as they were pirates or criminals. But these same pirates or criminals remembered what could happen to them.
When the former red guard calmed down, Alex, considering his mission accomplished, decided to leave. But before leaving, he left some last instructions.
- Your eldest daughter is working with Captain America now. When you appear in her field of vision, she will have someone to compare you to, so you must be better than him in everything.
****
Alex was preparing equipment to conduct a stream for the audience and since there was an opportunity to attract a sex symbol for a decent part of the planet's population who was now in his house, then such an opportunity could not be refused.
Alex was in one of the rooms of his house that had been re-equipped specifically for this. The most sophisticated holographic technology allowed him to do unimaginable things with its computing power, and Yumiko helped with the processing, and all of this was delivered from Stark Industries .
Streaming was never Alex's plan, but it is a good way to work with an audience to build his name and present an opinion that can influence the masses.
Of course, it's not that simple, but this kind of interaction with the audience has a positive effect on presenting the characters as ordinary people with their own dreams and problems.
Recently, all sorts of heroes have started to appear all over the world. Some of them were mutants and thanks to their abilities they helped the residents of their cities. One of the broadcasts touched on the issue that these people could be dangerous and no one knows who they are , considering that they have all sorts of masks.
"such abilities that appear in people will excite the public for a long time. And not all of these people will be happy to know that such people live next to them. It is good when there are those who want to help the people around them, but it is better to do this together with the authorities, so I ask all those who decided to engage in such activities to try to contact the local authorities and try to find a compromise. This will at least be useful in that you will not be declared an outlaw and will not start shooting as soon as you are discovered.
After waiting a bit, he added: “And for those who decide to use their abilities for personal gain or criminal purposes, know this: for your bad behavior, the Hulk will come for you.”
These statements caused a storm in society: after some time, news channels began to show footage of people in masks who worked with the police and rescue services. Discussion of the issues of responsibility and safety of heroes became one of the main topics in the media and public debate.
Such broadcasts had their use in order to be able to smooth things over between supers and ordinary people, and the next broadcast also had its purpose.
Almost finished with the setup, his future companion Natasha came into the room and spent several hours separately getting herself and her thoughts in order.
- There you are, we still haven't discussed what needs to be done. - stretching, the black T-shirt she was wearing stretched out on her, showing her athletic figure that was mesmerizing to the eye.
- Of course, we'll start right now. The first task will be to earn a few million and kill a few dozen people - Natasha's raised eyebrow demanded an explanation.
Without giving time for explanations, Alexander started the broadcast.
- Good day to all. - Deciding not to waste time, Alex called Natasha and continued - I know that you are all already waiting for what we will do today, but before we begin I want you to greet our guest today. This is a woman athlete, Komsomol member and simply a beauty Natasha Romanov .
At that moment Natasha appeared in the frame and the whole audience exploded. Alex himself did not read the comments because there were too many people and there was no opportunity to view them, so he just left everything as it was and occasionally glanced at the chat.
Natasha was not prepared for such a confession, but thanks to her preparation, she did not lose her head and greeted everyone on camera with a charming smile. She saw the statistics of people who were connected to this broadcast and was amazed at how many people were now sitting and watching the two of them and with each passing minute the number of viewers was increasing.
- I know that Natasha is our interrogation specialist, but today we will interrogate her together. You know how to ask questions. I want to remind you that all donations that come here go to charity, so don't worry, your money will go to a good cause. - Of course, due to the large number of people who wanted to talk to the avengers, we had to raise the bar higher, but on some broadcasts, other streamers collected money so that a question could be asked collectively. - I also want to say that we have our own secrets and some signed documents, so we will not be able to answer some questions, so we ask for understanding and forgiveness.
Thanks to the help of Tony and Jarvis, the broadcast that was being conducted was translated into many languages very quickly, which allowed people around the world to understand what the conversation was about. And the conversation was conducted on various topics, almost all of them were addressed to today's guest. There were very different questions, starting from the date of birth, ending with favorite poses or a request to reveal some state secret. Although Natasha herself did not show it , she was clearly shocked by the people who wrote such questions.
- Well, that's how it happened. I'm sitting on a chair tied up. This general was interrogating me, and then one of his subordinates gets a call - this "interrogation" has been going on for almost an hour now. I gave many answers to questions, and to many she simply smiled sweetly into the camera and was silent - they tell me that I'm urgently needed in another place, so I had to quickly finish with him and his guys and go on the next mission.
- Wait, wait, that is, what kind of fruits you like is secret information, but this mission does not fall into this section - of course, the question about fruits was one of the most innocent that were voiced.
- At the moment, this is not secret information, but what I like is tangerines or - a small play of the eyes and a change of intonation for the audience - bananas, of course, is secret information.
- Okay , I think we'll finish the interview for today, but we have a sequel. Natasha, how well do you rate yourself as a killer?
Such questions are not usually asked to a multi-million audience, and the super spy understood that this was not just for fun.
- There are many factors in my work that cannot be properly taken into account, so it is difficult to evaluate myself without bias.
- I understand you, so you can show us your skills right here and right now.
Even though they were not reading the messages sent to the general chat while sitting in front of the monitor, special programs showed the general mood of the people who sent the messages. So it was not surprising when the graph showed a surge in interest.
- I hope you know what video games are and how they work - seeing Natasha's skeptical look, he continued - if not, then consider it just an unexpected difficulty. Your goal is to do what you are told.
After launching the game, everyone saw the main screen on the monitor, where a bald man in a suit with a gun was shown.
- Now you see one of the most professional killers on the screen. - Natasha only snorted at this , but did it with a smile. - Your main task is to eliminate the target as unnoticeably as possible, which I'm sure you can do, and not to attract attention to yourself, which you can't do.
- Ha ha, no need to flatter, but now I understand better what you meant before the broadcast, well, let's try.
It all started with the training, the gamepad in Natasha's hands lay uncertainly and the actions themselves were unusual for her, but after completing the training mission twice in different ways, simply because it was possible to do so, and to get used to the controls.
After training, the spy entered her combat mode and began to show a master class, of course, not everything went according to her plan and sometimes missions had to be restarted, but the comments "oh Enrique, your greed ruined you" when she drowned one of the guards in the toilet or "Samantha, I'm so sorry" when she poured poison to one of the thugs were priceless, as if she was remembering some of her goals or just playing to the crowd. Of course, the spy went through the missions twice, once dirty and noisy, and the second time quietly and without attracting attention to herself. During the game, as a professional in her field, she gave an expert opinion on certain issues, but without going into it too much, since she understood that this was fiction and fantasy. In general, it was interesting and people were delighted with all of this.
- You know, that's not bad, I would never have thought that I could learn something new from the game.
- For many, games have become the biggest problem in the world, although there are wars and alien invasions all around, but this is the number one problem - Natasha listened to Alex express his opinion for the audience and noticed that this question somehow really touched him - I think that games are a new form of entertainment like books or films, because they can be evaluated in the same way...
This went on for a couple more hours. Natasha played, in between missions they just talked, sometimes answering incoming questions.
- Thank you to everyone who was with us today, because we will answer one more question and then finish for today.
The last question that came to them was very specific and made Natasha and Alex look at each other trying to figure out what to answer.
"Natalie kiss on camera" - the audience that watched them was large and among them were people who have a lot of money and are fans of the Avengers and in particular Natasha.
- It was n't me - Alex quickly raised his hands, making it clear that it wasn't his doing, responding to Natasha's serious look - but before you make a decision, I want to remind you that all the money goes to charity, and now this user has already sent ten thousand dollars, so think about your answer.
- Let's do it this way - after a short thought, the spy began, looking straight into the camera - in order to fulfill your request, I want you to make a generous reward and if it satisfies me, then I will satisfy your request.
After a few minutes of waiting, the answer that came amazed Natasha.
- Dear viewers, we received a donation of ten million dollars from this user. Natasha, what do you say?
- Will this money definitely go to charity? - What was happening now did not fit any of the patterns of action known to her, so she needed to find time to think.
- I give you my word - but Alex didn’t give her that time.
- Then there's only one thing left for me to do - Natasha stood up from her chair, turned Alex's chair around so that people could see it better and sat on his lap - then I want to take part in this - after which she kissed him in front of an audience of millions.
For several dozen seconds, the kissers did not pay attention to the world around them. Alex did not resist much, simply putting his hands on her waist and enjoying the kiss with a beautiful girl. The spy herself, although she was working off an unsigned contract, could not say that all this caused any bad feelings in her. The whole day was very emotional and she also needed an emotional release.
What should have ended quickly lasted about a minute, because both participants got carried away. They finished it when they were already out of breath.
a small sly smile appeared on Natasha's face, which she showed to the camera.
- Yes, but they still didn’t see it – to Natasha’s questioning look, Alex simply showed that his account was blocked for inappropriate content – I was even wondering if they would do it or not.
Still sitting on her partner's lap , Natasha smiled mysteriously before leaning over and whispering her proposal into Alex's ear.
- I don't see any reason to refuse - people who very often live for today and who can die tomorrow have no time for long flirting, so Alex didn't see anything wrong with spending the night with a beautiful woman, even if she is a spy for another country. Grabbing her by the hips, they continued the kiss and went to his room.

Chapter Text

In a large well-appointed room on the bed There was a woman lying with bright red hair that was caught by the sun's rays. One of these rays hit her and caught her eye, causing two blue eyes to appear to the world.
The tension in the spy's body disappeared after a few moments of examining the room and memories surfaced in her head. The information that her sister was alive and was with a man she thought was dead, conducting a broadcast to entertain a million-strong audience, all these emotions required an outlet, which led to a well-spent night with a man who knew much more about her than the people she had been friends with for years. One day in life can change everything a person did before. One day and she lost her family. One day and she left the red room, one day and she found her way in the shield and one day when her path with the shield will be interrupted, possibly forever. Now she has a new goal to get her sister back and make sure that Dreykov dies for good this time and all this is connected with one person. Ledov turned out to be much more dangerous than she could have imagined. During their last meeting, he gained allies, resources and knowledge, which only added to his danger. Natasha understood that no matter how he treated her, if she went directly against him, he would end her at that very moment.
After lying down for a while and thinking on the big soft bed about her future actions, Natasha reluctantly and with a little pain got out of bed. Finding her clothes folded on a chair, she got dressed and went to look for the owner of the house.
The search didn't take long, she found him having breakfast at the table and watching the news.
- Good morning, Alex called to her without turning around, - Come in and join us.
Approaching the table, she once again assessed his appearance while he was sitting in a T-shirt and shorts and noted that he was in the same excellent physical shape as Steve and that during the battle in New York he was much less physically developed. Already on the approach to the table, the smell of pancakes with different fillings made it clear how hungry she was and so she quickly joined in.
Having eaten the first pancake and realizing that it was very tasty, she ate another ten with different fillings while Alex consumed them like a black hole, which was also very similar to one of her charges.
- I didn’t think you could cook like that – she began the conversation, having eaten her fill, licking her finger from a small piece of sour cream – you don’t look much like a cook .
- Unfortunately, it's not me, my culinary skills are enough to keep me from starving to death , but I can't make pancakes like that. I ordered all this, I have my own cooks here who feed me and security who stands on the perimeter - the area in which they live Alex was fenced off to avoid any misunderstandings and it was easier to hire security and other workers to keep order in his absence than to rely on the fact that all people are decent and no one would want to break into his house - so I ordered for both of us, so eat up because we will have a lot of work.
- As for that, I think I got a little carried away yesterday ... - Natasha hadn't felt such a feeling of embarrassment for a long time
- Whatever you think about me, just know that you are, of course , smart and beautiful, but if you are not useful to me, then our deal is over. - the serious tone only confirmed many of her thoughts - I can give you something that no one else can. The question is whether I should do it.
- I can now return to the shield with this information and then...
- And what will you do with her? Tell her Fure, yes please. He will immediately rush to send you to solve his problems? But even if he does, where to start? You will still come back to me for answers , but I will not be so kind.
- You don’t understand, I can’t just take and abandon them, I owe them a lot.
- Are you sure? - Taking the remote control, he brought up a photo of several people on the screen, one of whom she knew very well, a man in his forties in a suit with a bald head and a permanent small smile on his lips.
- Coulson . But... but he's dead. Where did this come from?
- this photo was taken from one of the com after the battle in London . His squad arrived right after me, Tony and Thor left the city. - there was a hurricane of emotions inside Natasha , but it wasn't visible on her face - as if he knew when he needed to appear.
- How can I know that this is true?
- Why should I lie to you if you can check what I tell you ?
Determined to find out the truth, she picked up the phone and went to find out from her boss the truth about her friend whom she thought was dead.
"Too many people who should be dead are actually alive , that's not good," the spy thought as the phone rang.
****
What started as a project for a modern hospital grew into a project for a small town. Many scientists and various technologies were subordinate to a famous Russian mutant, all of this had to be protected, which forced them to look for decent security, after which another one appeared and another one, all of this resulted in the organization of a small town that worked entirely for Ledov and followed the path he had chosen. In order for people to work and not worry, they had to build houses, schools and other institutions that were ordered not to save on, which allowed expensive and useful personnel to be distracted from work as little as possible and be sure that their families would be taken care of. Having a virtually unlimited flow of money, this town was built at a rapid pace and soon the first houses could be moved into.
This is exactly the kind of construction picture that Anna Sycheva, CEO of Icestorm, considered. corporation . Occupying this position, it was necessary to solve many issues and to ensure that everything worked, it was necessary to be in working mode almost around the clock . But the opportunities that were provided outweighed any risks. As a child, she did not really understand what kind of work her father had, but over time she realized that he was one of the oligarchs who, through deception and threats, made capital for themselves in difficult times for people. After that, she went to build her own path, but over time, life showed that not everything is done as easily as she initially thought, but this prevented her from trying to prove that you can earn money without deceiving ordinary people.
- Miss Sycheva, Miss Romanov has arrived to see you - the secretary distracted her from her work - let her in.
A few seconds later, the American spy entered the office and stood in front of the desk as if in front of her boss's desk. Looking at the widow, Anna could understand why Alex wanted to take her for himself.
- Well, Miss Romanov, welcome to our team. - Anna said, not paying much attention to the guest. - I hope we can work together. -
After standing for a few seconds and assessing the situation, Natasha changed her behavior and calmly walked over and sat down on the chair that stood in front of Anna's table like she owned the place . The blonde didn't like this behavior and a visual duel between them began.
The two women looked at each other intently and it was clear that neither would refuse to win even in such a competition. Such a competition could have gone on for a long time if not for the notification that distracted both of them.
- I was told to come up to you when I finished the examination - upon arrival at the building, Alex sent her to conduct a medical examination, and he himself went to work.
- If you work with us, you need to know some things. - Anna's voice conveyed the seriousness of the situation - since our mutual friend handed over the management of the company to me, he is no longer the boss here, so now I decide who does what here, so you will do what I say and what you will talk about with him. - After which she added with a grin - If my memory serves me right, you have already had a similar experience.
Natasha sat and listened to all this calmly while the office owner continued. Since you will be his personal assistant, your range of responsibilities will be wide and first of all you will be running his blog - at this moment Natasha received a tablet with data - after your broadcast yesterday, everyone is talking about it on the Internet.
- And what should I post? - the question came from Natasha as she scrolled through the news feed. There was a photo of their kiss on many websites, and while some simply relayed the events, some claimed that they simply started taking off their clothes during the broadcast. All these exaggerations caused a grin on the faces of the audience . red-haired .
- anything that will bring a positive reputation. You were trained to win over people from the upper classes, so you should be able to handle ordinary people. Is that clear?
- Yes.
- Then you're free, take the tablet with you, there's a lot you need to get acquainted with there. - After which she simply continued working.
Natasha had no choice but to get up and go look for Alex .
****
Sometimes you have to pay for rest. The clinic , which should be officially opened soon, was already working. There, the ultra-modern equipment that was made for the purposes that Alex wanted to do was being tested and patients were being treated. Having visited several places of interest to him, his main goal for today was to check what would drive all corporations associated with medicine crazy.
Entering a large office in which there were about a dozen people, some were in white coats, and several more were in suits that showed that they were engineers. The most notable thing was the transparent pool that could accommodate an adult and still have some space left. Many wires were connected to this chamber that displayed various information on monitors nearby.
- So, are we all ready? - Alex practically burst into the lab and didn't delay greeting everyone.
- Yes, Doctor Ledov , we were just waiting for you – a man of about forty answered while many were busy preparing for the operation – I can’t believe that I will be taking part in this. If…
- I understand your feelings , but let's first make sure that it works and then we'll celebrate.
- Yes, of course. Take the patient.
While the patient was being taken to Alex , who took a seat to watch the progress of the entire operation, another woman approached.
- even if it doesn't work out, it will still be a breakthrough - Maya Hendson , who after her first visit was skeptical and felt fear of her actions, but after she and Alex talked, she was given a tour of the complex where the work was being done. Alex liked the files she brought so much that for a few moments his face turned into the face of a mad scientist who created a monster. Having given her an entire department at her disposal , she immediately began developing the serum, information about which she brought from her previous employer.
- I hope so. Of course, I'm not against helping people by healing their illnesses. But it seems to me that if I didn't have the opportunity to protect myself, I would now spend all my time locked in some bunker and work without seeing the light. - Although he smiled at her, Maya understood that he was serious.
At that moment, a person who looked more like a living corpse was brought to the laboratory. The hospital gown on the woman's body did not hide the lack of a fat layer, which was visible from the bones that protruded. Bruises under the eyes and pale skin. There was no hair on her head. The patient had been struggling with the disease for a long time and agreed to become a test subject for testing the equipment. The conditions were such that if the machine could not help , then Ledov himself would cure her, so the joy that this fight would soon end in any case gave her energy.
The woman was put in front of the explanation and the specialist once again began to explain what would happen to her during this time , many sensors were connected to her. When the woman finished listening, she agreed with everything, drank what she was given, and went to lie down in the cell. Before lying down in it, the woman looked at Alex and he nodded confidently to her.
Alex was here only as an outside observer and a person who, if necessary, could provide assistance to the test subject . All this work was connected with the sole purpose of making it so that the capabilities that he uses to treat people could be recreated with the help of equipment and he did not have to participate in each case.
- I wasn't sure at first that I could trust you, but looking at this I know for sure that you're better than Killian - Watching as the operation began and the pool lid closed, Maya decided to continue the conversation. - What he's planning... I... I just can't take part in this.
- Unfortunately, I can't accept such gratitude from you - Maya looked at Alex with interest while one of the most modern operations in the world began - what I do is more connected with my personal benefit. Believe me, wars have started for less. And I don't have the opportunity to wage war yet.
- a monopoly on such equipment will not please many people - the operation began and after turning on the equipment, the liquid that filled the pool began to react with the patient's body, causing her to have many muscle cramps.
- Exactly. That's why you'll have to pay well for access to this equipment. - Many doctors started to fuss, because the girl's convulsions were only getting worse. - After all, if a corporation has technologies that everyone wants, but no one can get to, everyone who wants them will go and take them by force. Stark won't let me lie.
At this point their conversation stopped. Alex watched the woman suffer, but did not seek to end it, because the goal itself was being accomplished. From all the data that the monitors gave, the doctors could judge that the pain was gradually beginning to subside. Ten tense minutes ended with the joy of the entire group. Many doctors understood that they would go down in the history of the development of medicine, because the woman who entered the laboratory barely alive would leave it already healthy, albeit physically exhausted.
- You are all great - he began to congratulate Alex to everyone present when the girl was taken out and the workers began to take care of her - today we all performed a unique operation in the world and we will all go down in history, but we still have a lot of work to do, we need to make sure that the people who will undergo the procedures do not remember this as a nightmare, so as soon as you are sure that the patient is alive, you can take a day off, and then think about how to make all this comfortable.
After which he left the laboratory.
****
Already on the way out of the building after a hard day's work, Alex just wanted to go home and rest. Although he felt good physically, he felt terrible mentally. Solving many problems where they couldn't do without him takes a lot of time.
- Congratulations - the already familiar voice of Natasha, who was standing leaning against the building, interrupted him. - I heard you achieved something big in your experiments.
be hidden from you.–
Natasha shrugged lightly.
- It wasn't difficult, - she continued with inexplicable satisfaction, - It's hard to hide something when everyone is talking about it.
- Maybe this is disinformation? You are a spy for a foreign country, maybe I am feeding it to you on purpose. - You haven't thought about it? - and although the intonation was playful, Natasha could not deny this version of events.
- If what I heard is not true, then I don’t understand why you need me at all? - after a successful operation, everyone was telling and sharing information, so it was hard to believe that it was all a setup, but that didn’t stop them from playing along.
- but that's where you're wrong. Anna told you that you'll be running my blog. Is that not enough for you?
-yes yes Yes . And what should I write there? What did you have for breakfast – she put her finger to her chin – or this: “Today is a terrible day, it started raining, so I took a blanket and am sitting by the window thinking about life”
He smiled and they laughed together - well, here you are already throwing out material, but seriously. I want to tell people about what really happened in London .
- Are you talking about the second alien invasion?
- Yes, I had one of the cameras that Tony gave me. A small camera that was on my chest and recorded the whole time.
- So what? You just have a recording of the battle in London , what's so special about that?
A sly smile on Alex's face made her doubt her words.
- the camera recorded my journey through Jotunhem , the battle in Asgard and the battle in London .
As she understood, the spy's blue eyes grew larger.
- And... and many people know about this? - Now Natasha understood why Fury sent her here . There was no information about Alex being on other planets in his dossier. It was unknown what he could have seen or received there or what information he might still have.
- not much for now, and if you promise not to pass this recording on to anyone, you will be able to get acquainted with it before everyone else does.
Natasha's face showed excitement. She had seen a lot in this life, but to be one of the first to see other planets really excited her.
- Okay, I'm ready - she stood in a pose with her hand outstretched - give me the recording, I promise that no one will dodge it .
whole pose reflected her innocence as a teenage girl, and her eyes blinked innocently and trustingly - as if to say: "You can trust me." - Don't rush, I have another task for you. I need to send a message.
- Do I look like a courier? -
- Recently, the money that was sent to the tax office has disappeared somewhere . Therefore, you need to send a message to those people who are behind this thief. -
- Do you have any wishes for the parcel? - It is nice for Alex to have such a professional who does not think that he cannot cope.
- we need to make sure that everyone understands who it is from, and at the same time understands why it happened.
- and then you will show me that video?
To which Alex simply smiled and went home.
- By the way, tell your headmistress to practice some more. She's playing implausibly. - The spy had the last word with a satisfied smile.
****
In another part of the world:
- We are waiting for Tony Stark and hope to find out the reaction. His reaction to this terrorist attack - a pretty reporter spoke on camera. In addition to her, there were more than a dozen reporters with various equipment standing near the hospital.
A few seconds later, the person in question came out of the main entrance. Tony, dressed in a simple but not cheap suit and with his trademark glasses, tried to walk to his car, but he was not allowed to do so so easily.
All the reporters blocked the passage and started asking questions. In the general noise, you could distinguish a few words: "terrorist attack," "explosion," "mandarin."
Having almost made his way to his car, one reporter with a phone that was recording began asking questions very persistently.
- Mr. Stark , when will they shoot this guy? - At Tony's intent look, he added - it's time already.
- Do you need it? - No one dared interrupt him. - I have a Christmas wish for the Mandarin. I finally got it out. I am Tony Stark and I am not afraid of you. I know you are a coward. That is why I have decided that you must die. I will help you. No politics, just old-fashioned revenge. No Pentagon. Come to me alone and then we will settle this matter. If you think you can handle me, here is my address. 10660 Malibu Point 90210. The door is always open.
After which he turned to the reporter with a phone number: is this what you wanted?
Without giving her time to think, he took the phone and the reporter and threw her into the column behind him.
- Send the bill! - and quickly got into his white sports car while other reporters began shouting their questions.
- Jarvis, call Aibolit-
Having driven a little, Tony, holding the steering wheel tightly, began to go over various ideas in his head.
- I'm listening, - a voice came from the speaker.
- Brother, I need your help.

Chapter Text

- I'LL GIVE IT TO MY HUSBAND AND YOU'LL LOSE EVERYTHING, DAMN MUTANT - a pretty good-looking woman in her early forties quickly left Alex's office after he refused her a skin rejuvenation procedure. It's not like he was eager to do it now, but he'd been making money off of it since before his superhero career began. But women always want to look good and many rich men pay well to get themselves in order, and they don't mind having their wives look good either, even if they have one or two younger mistresses. This particular woman had simply angered him with her behavior. She could have just come in and done everything politely and quickly. But her husband's money and power hit the woman in the face, and she'd already forgotten what polite communication was, so Alex calmly sent her back to her husband. The millions he gets paid for what plastic surgeons do, but better faster and without surgery, are not worth putting up with. So, morally satisfied, he answered an unexpected call from Tony Stark.
The call changed his plans for the next few days. After just a couple of hours on the plane, he learned in general terms what was going on. It turns out that terrorist attacks are happening not only in Russia. A certain terrorist who calls himself the Mandarin is carrying out a series of terrorist attacks in the United States or in the Middle East countries where American bases are located, and with each such act, he sends a recording on the air in which he publicly criticizes the government and intimidates people. Therefore, while studying the data, he was a little amused by the recording where Stark calls for a meeting with this Mandarin. As if they were simple martial artists. The thought of Tony and the Mandarin fighting in the boxing ring appeared in his head, and the audience shared and cheered for their representative.
Having reached the city, Alex did not hesitate and went straight to the hospital where Happy was lying. Hoggan is Tony's bodyguard. There was no point in calling Tony, he provided all the information that was needed and it could be done without the unnecessary noise that Stark could create.
One call from the billionaire and the passage to the hospital to the patient was ensured. It would have been possible to go through the main entrance , but there were several reporters there, and the extra noise was not needed.
Happy himself was not in the best condition. Multiple injuries from the explosion covered most of his body, and the patient himself was in a coma. Having access to the patient, it was possible to immediately begin treatment. Many nurses and doctors watched as Alex manipulated the water he brought from one limb to another. Having checked that there were no serious problems inside the body, Alex began to manipulate the water to speed up tissue regeneration. Some even filmed on their phones as a layer of water slowly moved over the patient's body and where there used to be red spots from burns and traces of the explosion , after a while there was clean white skin. The hematomas that were all over the body also passed after a minute of treatment. Literally twenty minutes of work and the head of security at Stark Industries began to look like a sleeping person. When the work here was finished and there was no point in being here, Alex wanted to leave the hospital just as quietly, but the fact that he was here did not go unnoticed, the people from the security service that Tony had put in place were holding back the reporters who desperately wanted to get inside to take an interview.
Not really keen on talking to the press, Alex left the medical facility the same way he got in, through the back door. The next stop should be at the billionaire's own home.
- He built himself a nice house - driving up in his car, he looked at the modern mansion built for the former head of Stark Industries and was able to appreciate the sense of taste. A beautiful house built according to the latest design innovations along with a view of the ocean was beautiful. Alex could easily imagine himself living with such a view, and for an Internet star it is also very convenient to have so much water nearby that it would allow him to use his abilities very effectively.
After looking out of the car a little and showing his face to the camera, the gate opened and the car drove inside. There were cameras everywhere that tracked the movement of the car and the journalists' helicopters that flew over the house. The loud statement of such a person as Tony Stark caused a great stir and many were ready to take risks to get a good story. Jarvis kept a close eye on all the guests who arrived to his creator or who wanted to get into the house without permission.
As soon as he passed through the glass doors of the entrance, he was met by the owner himself, already in an iron man suit with an open visor. The suit was somewhat different from those in which he had been seen before, but with his unprofessional eye, Alex found it difficult to notice the difference, only the different coloring was clearly expressed , expressed in a slightly different shade of gold.
- You can't even imagine how grateful I am to you for your help - the owner of the mansion began immediately. For an iron man who had thought only about himself all his life, it was awkward to forgive others for help, so it was surprising to see him like this - thank you, I am in your debt.
- Don't worry, everything is fine, you arrive when I call you. - Alex was getting the information that Tony had destroyed his house together with his friend when they were fighting in suits, but now the mansion looked like brand new.
- Well, you're comparing slightly different things, there was a very interesting situation with aliens - waving his hand, Tony led his guest to the bar where he began pouring alcohol from an expensive bottle into glasses - passages between worlds, the potential destruction of a bunch of worlds in case of failure, not inviting anyone to such fun is very stupid.
- That's why you were here alone now when you called the terrorist to your house - Tony's raised right eyebrow let him know that Alex appreciated the irony in the fact that he decided to deal with this problem personally without calling anyone. - I'm honestly surprised that there aren't a bunch of shield agents here right now who will monitor the situation and help in case of an attack.
To which Stark just waved his hand, “ Fury called me a couple of times, but I don’t want to talk to him about this, and I called you to help Happy , I can handle a gang of guys who had weapons myself just fine.”
- Aaa, you have turrets with machine guns hidden all over the house - while examining the house, Alex paid too much attention to the walls and columns that were in plain sight.
- No - and here Tony thought - but it’s a good idea, I’ll have to do something about it somehow.
- So that's why you decided to pack your things for the trip? - pointing to several bags that were lying near the aisle.
- It's not mine , it's Pepper's - Tony's mood worsened a little - she didn't like how I wanted to solve this issue and she decided to live somewhere else for a while.
- I can understand her, few people will like it if military actions are planned in your house, she is doing the right thing by deciding to be somewhere else - a few seconds of thought during which a sip was taken from the glass that was in her hand - But where is she?
- They called her and said that CIA agents had arrived at the office and wanted to talk to her, - he said calmly, as if there was nothing wrong with that.
- And you just let her go? I hope there's a whole army moving with her now?
- Why? Jarvis is keeping an eye on her.
- Wait , wait , so you let one of the people closest to you go, alone, without security, when you yourself called the terrorists to your place? - A little intense gaze and the gears in the man's head started turning. - And you didn't think that she might suffer the same fate as Happy just to piss you off?
A few seconds of reflection and Tony's eyes widen sharply - Jarvis, what's up with Pepper ?
- She's fine, Mister Stark, she just started a conversation in her office with CIA agents. - In addition to what was said, an image of a beautiful red-haired woman in a business suit sitting at a table appeared on one of the mirrors in the large living room, and in front of her were two men in jackets, and on another screen a waiting room appeared where, in addition to the secretary and the security guard, there were four more people sitting and waiting - six people arrived at the Stark Industries building .
- Jarvis, give the order to security to increase Pepper's security - not paying any further attention to his personal assistant, Tony returned his gaze to his interlocutor, satisfied - you see, everything is fine.
- You know better, just don’t say later that…
- Yes, yes. Yes, I understand everything. You better tell me, what kind of business do you have there that you spend so much time with that red-haired assistant of Fury ?
- Do you have some kind of work or personal interest?
- Considering the fuss you've caused online, there are few people who don't talk about you. And the footage of your passion isn't destroyed as quickly as it is copied and uploaded to the web again.
- And you seem to be following this issue very closely. - A slightly intent look was directed at the owner of the house.
- Well, she was my personal assistant for some time. And there we had - Tony began to play with his eyebrows, clearly making it clear the meaning of the unspoken words.
- Even so . - Neither the owner of the house nor his butler believed the surprise that sounded from the guest's lips. - Does Pepper know about this? I'll have to ask her what exactly Natasha was doing with you.
Tony showed his mastery of the suit when he pulled the phone out of Alex's hands without breaking it with his glove.
- I was joking, no need to call - returning the phone to the owner - but seriously, what is she doing with you?
- It tempts you to go over to the right side, of course.
- To the right one?
-Well, yes, to become, like her, a defender of freedom and democracy in the world. - to which both people laughed silently.
- And how are her successes? - Tony even had a purely professional interest in keeping such a person close by, and not in another part of the world, formally in a hostile state.
- Let's just say that the likelihood that she will complete the task that was set before her is very small - a sly smile appeared on his face - but that doesn't mean that she shouldn't try.
Tony finally got a picture of what was happening. Politics, Alex is not to the liking of almost all the high officials who sit in Washington ( basically, like Tony himself) and are trying to somehow influence him. If you can’t lure him to your side, then you need to look for weaknesses and they set a task for Fury , and the bald pirate himself is only happy to find out a couple more secrets. In this perspective, he even felt a little sorry for Natalie because she is just a puppet in their hands, while the iron man himself has freedom of action and the opportunity to defend his interests.
- Be careful with her anyway, you never know what this pirate will order her to do - Tony took a sip from his glass - By the way, I have good news for you, what we were talking about...
“Sir, you need to see this,” Jarvis may have been just an electronic assistant, but even his electronic voice was panicked.
And there was something to see. On the camera that Jarvis had shown earlier, there was a fight between people in Stark Industries security uniforms. against several people in suits who had previously been identified as CIA agents. But these agents did not look much like people, their skin burned, and their touch set people on fire who tried to stop them. The superior number of guards did not give an advantage, because any means that were at hand could not help. On the cameras, it was seen how several dozen shots were fired at one fake agent, and he just kept walking. But the most important thing is that their goal was not to arrange a massacre, but to kidnap the CEO of Stark industries who is Tony Stark's girlfriend. Jarvis changed the camera to show her body being carried and put in a car and then leaving the Stark Industries office when they try to stop them.
The emotions on the face of the man in the iron suit did not bode well for the people who kidnapped his girlfriend.
Jarvis be prepared.
-Sir, they are trying to bypass my systems.
After that, the inscription “ Danger ;-)” appeared on the TV screen, glass and any surface that Tony connected to the Internet .
- Tony, what's going on around here? - Seeing what was happening on the screen, Alex also began to prepare for battle, but the hacking of the system changed his plans
- Now is not the time for this Pepper ... - the man in armor no longer cared, his eyes seemed to be burning with anger.
- Is this a warning to me, what is happening around?
- What do you mean for you?
- Tony. Hurry up, we're about to be attacked.
- Sir, we have detected a heat signal that is rapidly approaching us.
Both people who were in the house just turned their heads and saw a rocket approaching them.
- Oh shit. - the thought that appeared in their heads simultaneously before the explosion.

Chapter Text

A whole flight of eight helicopters approached their target. Their task was simple: to destroy everyone who would be on the object.
The bald man who was now the leader of this group was in one of the helicopters and was not at all worried about the possibility of failure. The flying transport was completely filled with weapons and people who knew how to use them. Right before the operation began, he was told that there could be changes, so he was given certain instructions on this matter.
- The target is in the house, there is another person with her . - The mercenary who was sitting behind passed on the screen, which showed that two targets were marked inside the building.
- Begin the attack - after a short phrase, one missile flew out of each helicopter in the direction of the modern mansion.
****
The missile that flew into Tony's mansion caught them both by surprise. But if Stark took the full impact on his armor, then Alex had to take all the damage on his body.
Tony watched with bated breath as Alex's body went flying and hit the wall, after which it stopped moving from the injuries it had received.
- Jarvis. - Tony was ready to tear and destroy, his beloved was kidnapped, his friend was killed, and if he himself did nothing, then he would be next.
- Working, sir. - Jarvis' scanners scanned the area and prepared the suit for combat. - They are targeting you for another attack.
Tony raised his arms to fire his repulsors at one of the helicopters, but the building beneath him began to collapse, throwing off his aim and forcing him to take a few steps to gain firmer ground.
- Damn - besides the fact that the attack failed, one of the helicopters hit him with several shots from a large-caliber machine gun, judging by the noticeable pain, most likely the shots were armor-piercing, but they were unable to penetrate the armor.
Having regained his footing, Tony once again aimed at one of the helicopters and this time nothing stopped him from striking with his repulsors .
- There is one . - the helicopter that received such a charge in the windshield killed the pilot, which caused the helicopter itself to rapidly fall into the water - Jarvis, what about Alex?
- He's alive, sir - Tony's heart skipped a beat of relief - but he's still unconscious. My scanners are picking up a strange anomaly.
- Not now, he's already alive and well. We need to finish them off quickly and get him out of here . - The next helicopter that went to the bottom was blown up with a rocket fired from a glove.
Assessing the situation and the amount of destruction in the house forced Tony to change tactics.
-That won't work, Jarvis watch Alex and I'll take to the air. - The repulsors in the suit's limbs lifted him off the ground and sent him flying. The remaining helicopters in the air switched from the mansion to a living and visible target.
As soon as the battle location changed, everything took on a different color. The helicopters with all their weapons could not compare with the maneuverability and weapons of the iron man. Bullets and missiles fired almost continuously, but this did not give any result. Several helicopters were shot down simply from friendly fire during the maneuvers of the technological suit. Several minutes of air combat led to the complete defeat of the attackers and the battle was over. The enhanced repulsor beam into the pilot's cabin did its job and blew up all the helicopters that remained after the crossfire. The attackers' equipment and weapons were good, but against Stark's technological superiority this was very little.
Realizing that there were no more targets, Tony already wanted to go and save his guest from his own house, which was now starting to fall into the water. But this was not necessary, the master of water manipulation himself appeared in one of the openings of the building, where there used to be a wall. Tony was not surprised that he himself was fine, thanks to his abilities, Alex could heal his injuries and the only thing that spoke of what he had experienced was his torn clothes.
Sir, my scanners have detected several F16s heading our way.
- As always, just in time - Tony was already a little glad that these soldiers were doing something , and the situation with the military would not be a relief for him.
- Sir, I don't want to spoil your triumph, but it looks like these fighters are not flying to save you. -
Jarvis' scans showed that the planes were ready to attack and were aiming towards the owner of the iron armor.
Accelerating his suit, he went to meet the fighters. An attempt was made on his life. His girlfriend was kidnapped, and his friend was tried to be killed. Even if Jarvis was wrong and this is help for him. It will be easier to pay for new fighters that he will blow up than to allow another attack.
Unfortunately, Stark's hopes for a mistake were dashed, as two of the three fighters fired missiles when they came into range.
Shooting down some of the missiles and dodging the rest wasn't hard, but it gave them a few seconds to split up for a new maneuver. But fighting an engineering genius in the air with such technology was simply not reasonable. Tony had experience with this kind of plan, but if there he tried not to harm the pilots, then here there was no such goal. So two small missiles went in pursuit of one fighter, while Tony went after the other.
- Sir – Jarvis didn't have time to finish before a recording from one of the surviving cameras appeared on his screen. The picture was bad and the angle of view was unclear after the fall, but it was able to convey the meaning.
The third pilot did not attack Tony because he had another goal. The camera showed Alex trying to form a shield around himself from the surrounding water, but he did not have time. The explosion that occurred literally a few meters away from him completely destroyed the remains of a billionaire's mansion.
- No - Tony understood that Alex would not survive such an explosion. He could heal himself if there was time. But the powerful explosion of a missile designed to blow up bunkers left no chance for survival.
While the billionaire was grieving, the other pilots wasted no time in firing a second salvo of missiles. The bright red lights that flashed in front of his face caught his attention, and he noticed more missiles approaching him, but the suit's owner didn't have to deal with that problem. Jarvis , seeing the state of his creator, took over the suit and made a sharp maneuver to the side, which allowed him to avoid danger and shake the man inside the suit a little.
- Sir, your emotions will not help your survival now, I suggest... -
- Shut up - Jarvis did not dare to contradict his creator, but tried to help as much as he could, but thanks to the shake-up, Tony went for new goals, since he needed to check his house, and the planes would not leave him alone.
Having taken control from Jarvis, the suit's pilot made a sharp 180-degree maneuver and flew towards the nearest target straight into the breach.
Several missiles and a burst of machine gun fire did not stop the billionaire, and he simply flew straight, avoiding dangerous damage. When the fighter pilot realized that a collision was unavoidable, he tried to change the route, but this did not save him. Before the collision itself, Tony positioned his suit so that he was facing under the fighter and another missile fired from the glove simply blew up the plane's engine. Of course, Tony did not stop there and continued flying in the direction of two more targets. Seeing that one was already lost, the two remaining pilots tried to change tactics so that while one attacked, the other covered him, but the pilots had no experience in fighting small, armed and maneuverable targets, so the result was two more downed planes on Stark's account.
It took the winner literally a minute to come to his senses after the battle. Seeing how the parachute of the surviving pilot, whose wing the iron man had simply pierced, was slowly descending into the ocean, Tony suddenly had a great desire to talk, so he went to this pilot.
****
The office door opened. A spectacular blonde in a short black dress that hugged her entire body and showed off her beautiful legs in long heels walked in. Putting her hand in the small bag she had with her, she pressed the button on the device, and the bag began to vibrate quietly. Entering the room , she closed the door behind her and the noise of the party died down, looking around the office, the furnishings inside did not surprise her. A large wooden table, which was custom-made, had a computer on it and a few other things for work. A bookcase with books and a TV opposite the table, where an information channel was working. The office reflected a wealthy person who liked to spend money on his whims.
Without wasting time, the girl went to the computer and connected another device to it. While the device was cracking the password, the blonde looked through the desk drawers; apart from several bundles of money and folders of documents, there was nothing interesting for her. When the password was cracked, the girl began to look for what she had come to this party for. It is not a big problem for a beautiful woman to get to a meeting with rich men. A few minutes of searching on the computer yielded results, and she found the documents she was looking for. Having started downloading them, her gaze was drawn to a working TV. On the screen, she saw the already familiar mansion, only now it was shown in a ruined state, and on the screen were two photographs with the caption missing and both faces depicted were familiar to her.
- Fury will kill me. - Natasha checked that she now had the necessary information and began to urgently get ready before anyone noticed her.

Chapter Text

Pain. Alex had never experienced such pain. Now, lying on the bottom, crushed by something heavy, his thoughts were confused. The last memory was of a rocket explosion and an attempt to close himself off from it with a water shield. He partially succeeded, first of all, his head was protected, everything else was residual. Therefore, the pain from the fact that his arm and both legs were now regenerating, practically creating a new limb, due to many wounds, almost his entire body glowed blue. Thanks to his abilities, manipulating water, he could buy himself time so as not to suffocate while his body restores lost limbs. Alex promised himself to thank Maya for coming to him with her developments and for the two of them being able to finalize this technology. Of course, after they finished, the technology was tested and sent back for revision. Not all testing ended well, but the technology of healing in this way itself was not ready for use by the general public, and also major players around the world will do everything possible to make all the drawings and witnesses "disappear". Maya Hansen is a brilliant scientist, but she is naive in her vision of the world, so she had to be convinced not to divulge any information. That is why the next person who received these abilities was himself and it has already brought him benefit. Alex, coming to the mansion, assumed that there would be an attack on Tony, but he himself was not ready for it so immediately.
After waiting for his body to recover, Alex began using water to move objects that could prevent him from getting out and sent himself to the surface with one push.
Having risen to the surface, he stuck his head out and took a big gulp of air. Having looked around, he did not see any battle. There was silence and a lot of debris of different equipment around. Realizing that there was no need to prepare for battle immediately upon surfacing, he wanted to go look for Stark if he was somewhere nearby, but then his gaze was attracted by a scarlet glow near the shore. The glow turned out to be a man who seemed to be burning from the inside. Alex could compare what was happening to him and who it could be. This was a mercenary from the former employer of Dr. Henson Aldrich Killian.
Standing on the water, he looked at the mercenary, or rather at the work of regeneration. Before the serum's work ended, he decided to make himself known.
A huge icicle appeared in the mercenary's chest, piercing his chest and causing another attack of pain.
- Look, we have a survivor here - having found a target for releasing all the negative emotions, Alex was very pleased - will you tell me what I want to know yourself or shall we test the limits of your regeneration?
The mercenary realized that his abilities are nothing new to him and he knows what will happen to him if he regenerates forever. If he heals a lot, his body will not withstand it and he will simply become a living bomb.
- Looks like your answer is no. - after which he dispersed several liters of water so quickly that the water acquired the function of a saw - well, patient, get ready for an autopsy.
Realizing that even if he survived this encounter, it would not end well, the involuntary patient bit a specially designed capsule that was in his teeth. This capsule would cause him to overload, and he would explode. He had already given such capsules to some people, so he knew that the effect would be 100%.
The mercenary's body began to heat up sharply and melt the block of ice in his chest, and a triumphant smile made Alex understand that there would probably be no interrogation. Deciding not to play the mad scientist and watch the process live, Alex moved away so as not to be in the affected area.
A bright scarlet glow and a loud sound unlike any explosive resounded throughout the area. After which steam rose from the heating of nearby water. According to Maya Hensen's description , a person raised his temperature to 2500 degrees, after which the body could not withstand it and lost stability. Watching this process from the side, Alex's thoughts were spinning, making plans on how to prevent this from happening to himself.
While he was thinking about how to avoid accidentally becoming a walking bomb even after the serum had been improved, he didn't notice how Tony, who had returned, began to hover above him.
-You're alive, I can't believe it. - A satisfied Tony looked at the very healthy member of the Avengers team, on whom hung scraps of fabric that used to be his clothes.
****
- Damn, I just want to become the Hulk and go smash everything - sitting on the shore, the two of them looked at the remains of the mansion, the debris of which fell into the ocean. Alex was disappointed with the situation. And the situation was really ugly. One of the surviving pilots did not resist much when Tony asked him questions and told him everything he knew. An order came to the aircraft carrier on which he served to begin the attack, the pilots did not know who they were going to attack, and when they realized it was too late and the command ordered them to eliminate the target and they had nothing to do but obey, which cost the lives of two other pilots. Having learned everything he needed about the ship and its command, Tony went to look for Alex's "body", but then an explosion of a mercenary was heard, which attracted his attention. Alex himself told Tony about AIM, Aldrich Killian and that he had a grudge against Stark. And when Tony asked where he got this information from, he had to mention Maya Hansen and that she used to work for Killian, whose work he was not very happy with, even though it was her project " Extremis " with the help of which he managed to survive the explosion. Tony wanted to ask about this project in detail , but now was not the time, so Alex promised that he would be one of the first to know when the serum was ready and tested to the end.
Having discussed what had happened, they realized that their only direct lead was the aircraft carrier from which the planes had flown, and that they could find out who had given the order to attack. There was no point in going to Killian now, because the head of AIM himself could not order an attack from an aircraft carrier, so they had to look for someone who was covering for him and who might benefit from it.
- Before we go and smash expensive American equipment, can you let me make a phone call? - gesturing at his clothes, or rather their scraps, and the fact that his phone clearly didn't survive the adventure.
****
The ship was on alert, the entire crew was at their combat stations. The control team was deciding how to deal with the coming problem, but they had never encountered anything like this before.
A huge whirlpool formed right in the path of the small American fleet. The command tried to avoid it, but found itself in a stalemate. The destroyers that were covering the aircraft carrier were able to move aside and avoid danger, but the aircraft carrier itself had to drop anchor with its reverse engines running so that the ship would not be sucked into the funnel.
The team was on edge because they were afraid for their future, and the command was afraid because they could guess the reasons for their current situation. The admiral did not like the situation from the very beginning. The order to attack the national hero came from the very top and it was impossible not to obey, but the fact that the Water Man would also end up with the Iron Man ( Water man ) was not specified. The admiral was not a fool and was glad that his pilots could not carry out the order, even if he felt sorry for his people. He did not want to start the third world war, and the murder of a Russian hero would certainly not please another nuclear state.
While the admiral stood on the deck and looked at the whirlpool, a small flying object appeared on the radar. Realizing who was approaching them, he ordered no matter what happened not to open fire and went to the flight deck.
Iron Man was supposed to please the entire crew, but where the three planes went and did not return became known to everyone on the ship, so many were afraid of possible wrath.
The red and gold suit approached the runway and began to land. The look on the Iron Man's helmet was always blue, but it seemed to the admiral that right now the look was much harsher and did not encourage peaceful communication.
- What, you won't even shoot once? - the sarcasm in Tony's voice was very audible - because I'm not in the mood right now because of the attempt to kill me.
Some sensors in the suit increased the glow of the eyes, which alarmed the sailors even more, and some even began to reach for their weapons.
- Mister Stark, I am ready to fully accept responsibility for what happened, these people were just following orders, they are not guilty.
The glow of the eyes weakened a little, and the admiral also relaxed a little, realizing that they would not destroy them all right now.
- I hope that when I leave this ship I will be happy, otherwise my friend will intensify what is happening now - pointing to a whirlpool nearby.
- Of course I'll tell you everything. - Not only his life is at stake, but the lives of hundreds of his subordinates.
****
The wait was driving Natasha crazy. Sitting in the spacious office of the company, she scolded herself for agreeing to do anything for Alex at all. Her goal was to keep an eye on him, and while she went to get information, he flew to America, where now he and Stark were listed as missing after a well-armed attack. As soon as she appeared on the cameras in the city, a few minutes later an armored premium car drove up to her, in which important people usually travel, and a man got out and politely asked to go with him, introducing himself as a security officer who was ordered to pick her up after completing the mission. There was no point in refusing, so she sat down.
Initially, her and Alex's plan was for her to steal the data he needed and show up in a couple of places, and then people would wonder what she was doing there and go looking for her, where they would meet him and intercept them for a conversation, but now the situation has changed, at any moment people with weapons could arrive here with orders to eliminate her as a spy. Of course, even in her thoughts, Natasha did not expect such an outcome where they would succeed, but the situation would not be very good for international relations.
- Miss Romanov, please follow me - the secretary who came for her did not surprise Natasha much, because she heard her approaching steps. Walking along the corridors, she was led into the conference room, where Anna was already sitting with her assistants on one side of a large table and several people on the other side. She identified the main watch of the guests as a man in glasses who was sitting opposite Anna, some were in civilian clothes and two were in uniform, which confirmed part of her thoughts. Natasha sat down in one free seat next to the head of the company, which for the people who were sitting opposite made it clear that nothing good would happen for them.
- Natasha, these people have arrived today to talk to you about the theft that took place in the governor's house when he was receiving guests - Anna was behaving in a businesslike manner - so I ask you to help these gentlemen and answer their questions " only the truth ", but in order not to drag things out, let's get straight to the point. - The last was said to the law enforcement officers.
- Major Zaitsev, the guest introduced himself, - I understand you and I also want to finish this as quickly as possible, so let's get started. What did you do the night before from one to five in the morning?
- I was at the governor's house when he was receiving guests. - This answer caused a stir among the investigators; no one expected such an answer, but Anna's tone clearly made it clear what was needed from her.
- What were you doing there? - the investigator was a little worried by her answer.
- I walked around, looked at collectibles, watched TV - with each answer Zaitsev's tension only increased because all this was said casually, as if it should be that way - and also rummaged through documents and downloaded a lot of interesting information.
Silence hung in the office. The investigators did not expect such answers, and Anna's assistants were instructed not to interfere in what was happening and were there more as extras.
Hmm hmh – the major cleared his throat – then I will have to arrest you for…
-Wait, - Anna intervened, - what exactly were you looking for there?
- Data on the disappearance of more than 600 million rubles that "did not reach" the tax office. - the answer that was heard forced all the investigators to review with each other.
- So, Major Zaitsev, - Anna took the floor, - out of more than 1 billion in money that we paid in taxes, more than 600 million were "lost", and considering that this is only a small part after all the deductions that the company has. Do you understand what I'm talking about?
I'm sorry but we are here...
I asked if you understood what I was talking about – you could feel a strong tension in the room.
Yes, I can understand...
I hope – the owner of this office was clearly trying to crush these investigators – I didn’t like this situation, so Doctor Ledov and I asked Natasha to find them. You found them, right? – to which she received an affirmative nod from the spy – so we will pass on the data we received to the right people.
understand everything , but it’s not within my competence…
- Of course, you can take her now and arrest her - Anna interrupted the major, nodding at Natasha - but what will happen tomorrow? And I will tell you what will happen, the common people will simply destroy you all when they understand that it is much easier for American agents to find corrupt officials, and your fate will be even more unenviable, because to everyone you will look like someone who protects people who rob the common people.
The situation could really backfire on the police if they acted rashly, it would be impossible to hide the arrest of a member of the avengers team that most of the world knows. In any case, the situation is bad for Zaitsev and his people, if he doesn't detain her when she confesses, his superiors won't pat him on the head, and if he does detain her, it will reflect on everyone and not in the best way.
Almost a minute of waiting and the major, as the senior, made the only decision in his case.
-Until further notice, I would ask Miss Romanoff not to leave the city, we may have questions for you.
And Zaitsev began to get ready, and after him all his other subordinates, some with condemnation that the arrest had not taken place, and some with hope for a peaceful outcome.
-Before you go, know that you will be better off dealing with me. - A bright smile could be seen on the business lady . - Because if Alexey were here, you would leave this building through the window.
The investigator did not know whether to believe or not believe what had just been said, but he certainly had no desire to find out.
I hope to see you soon - Zaitsev looked at the satisfied blonde and wanted to express himself, but did not - because if you do not come to us, then we will come to you.
A clear hint that if the money is not found, they will post their information and then it will be too late to do anything.
Nodding in confirmation, the police officers left, causing all the assistants to relax and also begin to get ready.
- At some point, I already started planning how to escape from here - left alone in the office, Natasha and Anna could start a conversation a little more friendly - but I don’t quite understand why this was necessary.
- It was just a test - Anna's gaze burned with determination - if we hadn't passed it, they would have started to pressure us even more brazenly, but this will shake up a little everyone who is mired in their own swamp and will be an answer that we cannot be ignored.
- So what now?
And now you can't leave the city, - to which the blonde winked at the redhead, - so I'll find you some things to do.
****
Large windows opened up a beautiful view of the center of Moscow. An adult man with a small bald spot on his head, which he tries to hide with glasses, stood and watched the flow of cars located not far from the reception area. A phone ring distracted the observer.
- Hello - a small phone without a touch screen was placed to the ear.
It was impossible to hear what the other person was saying over the phone.
- It’s a pity of course, but it’s not critical, she can tell a lot of things.
Again the speaker interrupted his interlocutor.
- It doesn't matter anymore. They can't do anything to us yet. We'll follow the plan.
And again silence. Until a phrase was spoken quietly enough that no one but the person on the other end could hear.
"Heil Hydra"
After which the call was interrupted. And the office was again in silence until one of the assistants entered.
- Mr. Minister, here you are, the President is waiting for you, he quickly said and began to wait to escort him to the office, which he had already been in more than once.
Of course I'm ready.

Chapter Text

Not far from a large metropolis there is a large and prestigious village, where only very rich people can live, who pay good money to ensure that paparazzi or other people who could disturb the peace of these people could not enter this territory. To start living here, it is not enough to have money, you need to have a sufficient number of connections, acquaintance with which will allow you to not have neighbors with whom conflicts may arise. Usually, local residents here do not allow themselves to be seen on the street in any inappropriate clothing, and all strangers who end up here are quickly twisted by security, but now there was an exception. Two men who were defiantly poorly dressed for this place calmly walked and talked. One in a red T-shirt and shorts, and the second in light pants and a hoodie several sizes larger now calmly moved along the street and behind them was a security car that did not bother the uninvited guests.
- Tell me, what actually happened when the attack on us began? Do you have your own network of hackers who were able to get past Jarvis? - for Tony Stark, this was a very important question, because very few people can bypass his assistant's updated systems, which means such personnel cannot be wasted.
- You didn't guess, but I'll give you another try. -
- Hmmm, are these Russian secret services that work for you? -
- What a platitude, Tony. Think about it carefully. -
They were both unfazed by the car of armed men who had been following them since they had arrived here. If the guards could, they would have driven them around and shown them everything.
- Are you creating a semblance of artificial intelligence because you envy me?
- Pfff no, you will never believe me - Alex made a short theatrical pause - but she's just a teenage girl.
What do you mean? - obvious disbelief was written on his face - you mean to say that one teenage girl was able to do something that no one else can do?
Alex himself looked at his interlocutor without believing it. After all, he himself can do what no one else can, but he himself cannot believe in something similar.
Actually sir - the voice from the billionaire's watch distracted them both a little - I am constantly fending off her attacks now, if it were possible I would ask her to stop.
At that moment they came to the door of the right house and knocked. The whole house was decorated, because today was a holiday here. Of course, the house already knew about their imminent arrival, so the two heroes just stood and waited.
Yumiko, leave Jarvis alone, be a good girl - Alex said this phrase into the clock.
Thank you sir….. – Tony watched all this action silently, but the look he cast demanded answers.
Alex had no choice but to tell a short story. Yumiko was a genius hacker who was able to hack many systems that were considered safe even before finishing school. Everything was fine and fun for her until a power surge sent her body into a coma and her consciousness into the network. This is how her mutant gene was awakened. Everything was fun for her until she discovered that she could not return to her body, and her father, being the only living relative, had a heart attack when he found his daughter unconscious. She tried to help her father, with her ability to find money and buy the necessary medicine was not difficult, but without living relatives, he was not given proper help, and the medicine did not give the desired effect. Yumiko desperately looked for a way out of the situation until she came across several large transfers for doctor's services online. After checking, she contacted This mysterious doctor and then made a deal with him.
- That's why now she is my guardian angel in the digital world, there is no hacker that she cannot track and no system that she cannot bypass.
Tony was about to say something sarcastic, but the door of the private house opened, and a man who looked like a typical CIA agent in a suit led them both behind him. There was a lot of noise in the other rooms, where a party was taking place. The agent led them to the office where the current US Vice President Jonathan Rodriguez was already sitting at an expensive desk.
-I didn't expect to see you here, how can I help you? - The vice president tried to be friendly, but his whole body screamed that he was nervous.
Mr. Vice President, my friend and I are here to figure out what's going on? - Tony began as he comfortably sat down in the seat opposite the owner of the office. The second chair was occupied by Alex. - As you should know, I was attacked and we need to figure it out.
What do you want from me?
The truth is, Alex turned the water from the carafe into an icy blade that approached the man's neck. - and we don't have much time or desire for unnecessary conversations.
Are you threatening me? - The vice president pressed the button after which two agents who had been knocked out by the water whip burst into the office and introduced them to the wall.
Rodriguez looked at Tony hoping that he would help, but he did not see in his compatriot's eyes the desire to stop all this.
- We found out that several fighters took off on your order and that thanks to you terrorists appeared in the CIA - the blade at the throat forced him to press his head to the back of the chair - these same people kidnapped the director of Stark Industries whose life is very important and if something happens to her then my friend - Tony's look after mentioning Pepper would have already killed if he could - will be very unhappy and may do something stupid. For example, an uncontrollable suit will drop a bomb on your house where you, your wife and your daughter are.
Rodriguez loved his family and could do a lot for them, especially for his little daughter, who was crippled and he had to make a deal that could heal her. A deal with Aldrich Killian that raised his corporation in a very short time and everything was fine, the technology of limb restoration developed until aliens appeared and Alex himself who could do a lot. In order to speed up research, reduce Alex's influence on the world stage and put shelves in the wheels of the Russians, Rodriguez was able to get additional funding and opportunities that turned Killian's head and he began to go beyond the limits. Also, under the pressure of the ice blade, it became known that the terrorist attacks were also his business and Tony did not like that American citizens paid taxes so that the government sponsored terrorism.
It was also revealed that there were future plans to remove the President by using the Patriot so that Rodriguez could take the vacant position. This explained why there was no contact with Rhodey , who was piloting the suit, and why Tony was unable to contact him.
If you care about your daughter, I advise you to send her to me, where I can help her in time, because in a couple of days you won't be able to do anything for her. - Alex's serious voice clearly implied that the vice president's political career had come to an end - it would be sad if because of you she lost the opportunity to live a normal life.
- And I don’t advise you to do anything stupid, otherwise I might actually have faulty armor.
And so the two “heroes” left the residence of the future prisoner, who sat in his office and literally did not know what to do.
- Then we'll split up, you go get the president, and I'll go to Killian's mansion in Malibu that Rodriguez told me about. - Standing on the sidewalk, they both discussed their plans.
- Let me do it. Pepper might be there - Tony didn't like what was happening after hearing this, his body was seething with energy for action.
-Yeah, and I went and flew after the plane - the look that was thrown at Tony showed what a stupid idea it was.
-Okay, I'm going after the president, and you...
And I'll go to the mansion and figure out what's going on there that's so interesting. - and he added to the unspoken question - and if Pepper is there , I'll make sure she's safe.
****
Miami has always been famous for its warm weather, sandy beaches and beautiful girls who relax in beach outfits. All this has always worked well to attract people.
Today was not a special day for most people, but the armed guards who guarded the large and old mansion, which was more than a century old and stood far from the city, were in for a surprise.
The head appeared from the water near the mansion itself. Having assessed the situation, it was decided to act more quietly, so as not to attract much attention, otherwise the tsunami formed in a couple of seconds would immediately show that he was here.
Having emerged unscathed from the water, Alex was surrounded by a solid water sphere that was constantly moving and a small amount of water that flowed under him. This entire structure moved at his will, so from the outside it looked like he was floating. Until the cleanup of the object began, one thought came to him.
- Ehhh, it's a pity Natasha isn't here now, she's a super spy . - The first shots were fired by the guards on the roof who were inspecting the area with snipers. Watching how the bullet simply slows down in a layer of water and is carried away, the smile on the face became predatory.
- She could have quietly gotten inside. - Then other members of the guard began to join the snipers. Shots were heard from everywhere, grenades exploded somewhere nearby, but nothing could penetrate the thickness of the water.
- For her, getting past the guards without anyone finding out is a simple matter. - The first casualties of the defenders began when several people were pierced by many small frozen drops. Considering that all the guards were mostly unprepared for heavy clashes, only those who took cover behind strong shelters like walls were able to survive. One of the snipers who was lying on the roof saw a clot of water fly onto the roof. Having rolled several times, he dodged a direct hit, but was doused with splashing water, he only managed to exhale, as the water that caught on him pulled him off the roof.
- And even if he disturbs someone, he will be able to quietly get rid of him without raising a threat - people ran out of a small building that was allocated for barracks, but literally a second later a flurry of ice fragments stopped them running in position. The man who was lucky enough not to run to the exit saw how those with whom he drank beer a minute ago were simply torn to pieces as if from a minigun .
When the huge mass of water reached the main entrance, there was no one to stop it. Having assessed the result, Alex came to the conclusion - "in principle, everything turned out pretty well."
Since there was nothing else to do in the yard, the only way forward was inside. The first thing he saw when he entered was a large front hall with a staircase leading to the second floor right in the middle of a small estate. After taking a few steps inside, new problems appeared.
an extremis was waiting above the main entrance and it was worth taking a few steps inside as he, already fired up, rushed straight down. The instinctive action from a sudden attack was to simply send all the water to the attacker, which Alex did. All the water that was not used on the water shield went up and collided with the attacker. When the water collided with a person whose body temperature was above a thousand degrees, a small explosion occurred, forming a large cloud of steam that covered everything inside this hall.
The mercenary who rushed to attack managed to hide in the resulting cloud of steam. Because of this, a small moment of silence arose. No one saw anyone, so there was no hurry to attack. Standing and watching the white canvas, Alex felt a strong change. He always honored all water as an extension of himself, so manipulations with it were simple. Ice that could be frozen from water was no longer so controllable, but no complex actions had ever been done with it. Steam or fog were a little different, there was not enough water there to control
The moving empty space in the large wall of steam caught him by surprise and, having lost a couple of seconds to comprehend what was happening, it was only worth realizing that the empty space was occupied by a person that an ice blade began to form.
Already aiming for the attack, he was distracted by a furious scream behind him. A red woman, almost burning in the sunlight, was running into the building where he was. Near Stark's house, such a shade of a person preparing for an explosion was already visible.
Sending even more water under his control to wash the woman away, and using the rest to block the passage from the explosion by erecting a wall there.
The explosion of an angry woman thundered a few seconds later and shook the nearby walls.
There was only one left and he immediately reminded of himself. Realizing that the enemy was distracted, the remaining mercenary ran towards the water lord and wanted to end this fight with one blow in a jump, but he failed - his blow was printed right into the wall, and Alex himself managed to lie down on the floor.
A powerful blow from the already burning blue hand burst out from the mercenary's chest.
The mercenary's red glowing eyes widened as he looked into the equally glowing, but blue eyes, and then his head simply sank.
A giant tentacle from the water grabbed his head and began to swing wildly throughout the hall, hitting him against the walls.
After watching his opponent choke and hit the walls, he separated his head from his body with a light squeeze of his hand.
Having looked around and realized that there was no longer any threat, more water from the ocean was called in as a precaution.
No one interfered with moving further around the building, the rare people who were encountered either ran or hid. Anyone who even slightly resembled a guard received a sharp blow from a water whip that knocked them out or killed them, depending on who was lucky.
After passing the building on the second floor, he entered a room that had many amenities and entertainment. A large bed behind which were hiding two women of easy virtue and a bald man very similar to the one who was in the videos and called himself "Mandarin".
After kicking the women out, Alex made an angry face and walked towards the only person left in the room and he began to sing like a bird. The so-called terrorist "Mandarin" was just an actor. Trevor Slattery lived the life of a failed actor who was addicted to drugs until he was hired by AIM and wanted to be responsible for many explosions, and in return they gave him money, drugs and entertainment.
Listening to the story of a drug addict-actor who, before his “death”, decided to relax one last time and stuff himself with more white powder, he received several water treatments so as not to be distracted from the interesting story.
Having finished the conversation and learned everything I could from this actor, it was decided to move on; there was still a basement that was worth checking.
Under the building was more of a dungeon than a simple basement or cellar. Walking through the cells, Alex found the only prisoner, who turned out to be James Rhodes, Tony's friend and the Patriot pilot, but he didn't have his suit on him.
-Alive? - waking up the prisoner who had previously been hanging on chains, exhausted and set on fire in several places.
- Where's Tony? - panic was visible in the eyes of the Air Force colonel - they took my suit to kidnap the president.
- How did they take it? - Stark built the best exoskeleton the world had ever seen, and no one in the world could show anything even remotely good. - They just took it?
“They smoked me out,” Rhodes tried to justify himself by telling how they started heating up his suit.
- What were you doing here anyway?
- Well, I was on an operation to capture ten rings in the Middle East...
- Wait, do you know where we are? - to which he received a negative nod - we are in Miami. So they captured you there, delivered you to the other end of the world and only here "opened" you? Although they used the same methods when they captured you. They have some strange logic.
Rhodes himself thought about this and nodded in agreement, accepting this oddity.
- Well, look. There's a very interesting person up there, talk to her, and then decide what to do.
- What about Tony?
- Tony is trying to save your president right now, so do what you can.
- Okay - even though the colonel agreed to do this, he was clearly unhappy that Alex ordered him what to do.
After going through the rest of the house, we discovered another small laboratory and a film studio where videos with the participation of "Mandarin" were filmed, but unfortunately there was nothing interesting there.
Already leaving the explored mansion, a thought flashed through Alex’s mind: “Tony will clearly be in a bad mood that Pepper is not here.”
*****
P.s. I hope those in the know understood the reference. I don't know why I decided to do it this way, but when I was writing it, it seemed a little funny to me.

P.s.s. I also want to thank everyone for the fact that this work resonates with people.

Chapter Text

In a small town of several dozen different buildings that formed on a highway for truckers. The heroes sat in the only eatery and slowly ate burgers and potatoes that were brought to them.
- Breaking news The terrorist who calls himself "Mandarin" has been captured. The person responsible for the capture is Colonel James Rhodes who was able to find and capture him in Miami. Yes, yes, dear viewers. Everyone was shocked when the most wanted terrorist was on the territory of the United States. He was found in a mansion that belonged to the head of the AIM company, Aldrich Killian. Now all efforts are thrown into finding the head of AIM himself, and his company has launched a massive investigation ...
The quietly working television was of no interest to anyone now.
There were no other customers in the establishment except the two of them, although it was clear that the kitchen was working at full capacity.
"Is he still there?" Tony checked the screen on his watch.
- Yes, as soon as Rhodey's suit with the president landed, he did not take any action, it looks like the hostage is still inside and they did not even let him out.
- I still don’t understand how they hacked it?
“Me too,” Stark was unhappy with the current situation and it was evident in his voice.
All because with the help of his technology they were able to kidnap the first person of the country. On board they did not expect that the warrior suit was captured, thanks to this the mercenary Killian was able to get inside and already inside the kidnapping was committed. When Stark himself showed up to save the first person of the country it was already too late in addition they had to be distracted by the people who were thrown out of the plane by the explosion.
- Are you sure your plan will work? - and this was already a question for his partner who was playing a little with the cola on their table, making figures out of them and forcing them to fight each other.
- No, but if you haven't noticed we're in the middle of the desert now, my abilities don't work very well here without a large source of water. If you have other options... - Tony was about to say - that aren't as time-consuming.
Stark himself only smiled mysteriously: “Actually, there is, but I’m more interested in your option for now.”
Tony may have been in control, but he didn't like the situation. After the president was kidnapped, he was able to track where the suit had flown. It led them to a military base that a legally recognized terrorist had been able to get after increasing the amount of money he was receiving. Previously, he had one ship where he conducted experiments, but now he had moved all his equipment there. Scanning the footage from his satellites, he determined that the suit and Pepper were there, as well as many tanks and missile launchers whose purpose was to shoot down any target that would begin to approach the base.
- The son of a bitch was clearly preparing to meet me. - Tony thought about what he saw in the pictures. As soon as he appeared on the radar near the base in a suit, dozens of missiles would fly at him, some of which would definitely hit the target.
- I'll tell you this - lounging languidly on the cheap chair that was here - if you and I agree on a business meeting, and you dump me by going to spend time with a hottie, then don't be offended if I suddenly get angry at you
The billionaire himself looked intently at his interlocutor, recalling the only meeting that had taken place between them, because he definitely did not tell about this part of his acquaintance with Aldrich.
-What? Hansen told me. - and calmly continued drinking the cola that flew into his mouth in the form of various spaceships.
- Sir, your "guest" will be arriving soon, estimated time one minute - Jarvis' voice distracted them from another conversation.
- Finally – I didn’t think the journey from New York would be so long – Stark was indignant, but was the first to head out.
As soon as they both left the establishment, many eyes turned to them. People stood watching from the windows on the other side of the street. Even the biker gang that liked to eat here stood quietly to the side and did not interfere after their Mark 42 "politely" asked them not to come in.
The sound of the suit descending caught everyone's attention. As soon as the suit firmly secured itself to the ground, it opened and Dr. Bruce Banner practically flew out.
- You... you two - Bruce, gasping for breath and trying to come to his senses, tried to say something while standing on all fours and pointing his finger at the people because of whom he was here.
- Everything is fine, maybe you would like some water or a massage to calm down? - Bruce waved away the bottle of water, as well as everything else that these two bullies offered.
- Maybe you could explain what's going on? - Having recovered a bit, he finally accepted the offer to have a drink - you just said that you needed me, and then he grabbed me, put me inside and brought me here.
Bruce told all this while taking small steps away from his flying prison.
- Nothing personal, big guy, but it was his idea - Tony threw off all responsibility and began to slowly move away.
- I'm sorry, Bruce, but we couldn't get you there any other way, and we need a big guy to save Pepper and the President.
- What? - Of course Bruce understood why he was being brought here, there were objectively no other reasons, but that doesn’t mean he liked it - what do you want?
- We need Hulk to tank damage in the dungeon . - A bit of gaming slang confused the scientist.
- Are you sure? - Bruce looked around at the people around him - there are just so many people here, I'm not sure...
- Bruce, everything is fine - Alex looked into his eyes, holding him by the shoulders - trust me!
- Well, as you know - not believing that he was doing it himself, the scientist moved a little to the center of the street and stopped maintaining control over the monster who had already felt the taste of freedom.
Many people had become very familiar with what the Hulk could do thanks to numerous recordings during the Battle of New York. But seeing an ordinary person start to grow and turn green, tearing almost all of his clothes off and turning into a big green man who acted like a wild animal was unusual for many. People from the streets began to quickly run away, acting more on reflexes than consciously, because many had phones in their hands and the entire transformation process was recorded on hundreds of cameras.
When the process was over, only two people and the big guy himself were visible on the street. The anger was on the face of the monster of rage, one thrown stone from some idiot would have been enough for the Hulk to destroy the entire town and no one would have been able to stop him, but fortunately this did not happen, so he stood patiently and waited.
- Hello big guy - Alex greeted him peacefully, hitting him on the chest with his fist as a greeting - it must be nice to get out when you don’t have to kill anyone to save your life?
Rrrrr – the Hulk's roar could reflect either agreement or disagreement.
- Oooooo , I see you're a guy who doesn't like to waste time, so to stop you from growling so angrily, I have something for you - and he gave a sign to the establishment's employees to start acting.
- Literally a minute later, workers started coming out of the establishment with a huge tray on which more than a hundred of the largest burgers that could be made there were piled up in a pyramid. Hulk watched attentively as a pyramid of food was formed in front of him.
Help yourself, this is especially for you, the quality is average, but it satisfies hunger very well - and as an example he came up, took one of this pyramid and bit it. It was very funny to look at Hulk's slightly confused face. Alex's example influenced him, so without waiting any longer he grabbed several burgers and threw them into his mouth.
It was a shock for many to watch as the green brute pulled the pickup truck towards him, sat on the back and began throwing even more burgers into himself. All the food was gone very quickly and Hulk was about to go inside for more.
- MORE - a voice more like a roar was directed at Alex who stood in front of him on the way.
- Do you want more? - affirmative nod - then come with us, do we need your strength?
- A FIGHT?
- Fight.
- NOW A FIGHT. THEN FOOD. - although it was angrily, but in all his encounters with the green beast, Tony was in shock, the first time he saw him so happy.
- Well, you see, everything is fine, now we can go visit - pleased that his idea had worked, he went to collect some water, because there was little of it at the base in the desert.
- Follow us - to which Hulk nodded affirmatively and began to make large jumps after the people who flew forward.
****
At the abandoned military base, which Aldrich Killian had recently equipped for his personal needs, the alarm was turned on and many people began to urgently take up combat posts. Almost no one understood what was happening except for the people who were currently in the headquarters.
The sound of destruction was heard in the headquarters itself. It was the head of the AIM company himself destroying the equipment in a fit of rage when three figures were shown on the big screen. Tony Stark himself in his favorite brainchild. Alexey Ledov around whom water was swirling and the Hulk who needs no introduction.
- So much preparation and all for nothing - having released all his anger and extinguished the extremis in a fiery glow , Aldrich sat down in a chair, already in a slightly shabby suit, but he didn’t care much about that now.
- Sir, we can open fire on them now - with the increased funding and new capabilities, Aldrich was able to transfer his developments from the ship to this facility, also taking with him a lot of weapons to deal with Stark.
- Even if we start now, it won’t give results, they’ll just go off course – Aldrich answered his subordinate – the question is why are they standing there?
Possible versions began to be quietly voiced throughout the room.
- The President - everyone looked at another screen where the President of the United States, clad in patriot armor, was located right in the middle of a military base in an open space.
- Yes, turn on the controls I want our valuable hostage to be out of reach and hidden from them.
The operator began entering commands into the system, and began to take control into his own hands and direct the suit to the bunker where the headquarters was located.
After taking a few steps, the suit stopped.
- What's going on, why did he stand up?
- I don't know sir, I'm trying - while he began to panic and enter new commands to avoid becoming the next target of wrath, the monitor began to ripple and an image of a robot rabbit appeared, pointing at the operator with a finger and the caption "ha-ha".
While all this was happening, the suit itself awkwardly took a few steps, then stood up and began to fly into the sky.
- KNOCK IT DOWN, IT MUSTN'T FLY AWAY. - but there was no time for that now they had a higher priority target in the form of a green monster that was rushing towards the base.
- Son of a bitch, kill them all - realizing the approaching danger, he gave the command and began to leave the headquarters and go for his last trump card for survival.
****
Before starting an attack on the military base, it was necessary to resolve one issue: how to get to the country's top official?
- Are you sure we should stop here now? We are in the kill zone.
- I wouldn't want to take risks while they have such a hostage, and the fact that they left him on display for everyone to see is only their problem.
- FIGHT - Hulk started to get a little angry because he was expecting a fight, and then he was told to stop and now he watched as two people with whom Banner was talking looked at the picture that appeared from the light from the red suit.
- Calm down, big guy, everything will be fine, now we will solve one little issue and you will go have fun.
At that moment, Tony's scanners showed helicopters flying in their direction.
- Yumiko, if you can hear me, we need to act now - Alex spoke into the phone that he bought from a passerby, because his was destroyed in the techogenia house - let me know that everything is ready.
The plan was simple. They had to get the hostage out of the base, it would have been harder if they had hidden him somewhere inside the base, but it seemed like Aldrich was planning on making a good show of killing the US President in his protector's suit, so Alex asked his personal hacker to bypass their systems, penetrate the suit's systems, take over the controls and get away.
A short text message that came to her phone confirmed that she was ready and advised to start right away.
- Hulk, there's a military base over there, no friends there, have fun.
A satisfied smile appeared on his big green face, with all his teeth, and without stopping he set off with his big leaps towards the military base.
- Actually, Pepper is there too ! - Tony watched from the satellite as the warrior suit left the military base, avoiding the few shells that were flying at it - no matter what he did.
- Pepper is the only reason why we are going there now. If it weren't for her, I would rather stay here and watch them run around in panic, not knowing what to do with the Hulk.
There was no point in imagining this, because you could see it in person, which made them smile.
- Okay, go ahead - the old man couldn't wait to get his girl back.

Chapter Text

The first helicopter was destroyed by Hulk when he simply crashed into it in a jump and pierced it through. The remaining few pilots did not expect that he would reach them with his jumps, so seeing this, they decided to rise higher so that the same would not happen to them.
The military base had tanks, artillery, and air defense systems that were used to target ground and air targets. Many people sitting behind the equipment were trying to target one target that was rapidly approaching the base with its large jumps.
Many started shooting just to shoot, hoping for at least some kind of hit, and some even succeeded.
A tank shell hit the leg of a three-meter-tall brute that was preparing for a new jump, causing it to roll on the ground for several dozen meters. Taking advantage of this opportunity, everyone started shooting in that direction, since there was no time for precise aiming, but it was enough for dozens of shells to hit the green monster that was approaching them.
The fire stopped briefly after this as a curtain of sand covered the site of the explosions.
- RRRRRRRAAAAAAA - a loud cry of rage was heard inside the sand cloud. A second later, Hulk flew out of it. Now he did not move with big jumps, but began to run and sometimes make small jumps to the side when he saw that many missiles were flying at him.
Explosions were everywhere. The last thing the helicopter pilot saw, who was close enough to the Hulk, was the monster catching a missile and how he simply threw it into the pilot's cabin.
A minute. That was all the defenders had to stop the attack on them and it wasn't enough. Having reached the first tank, he simply knocked it out of his way and the tank flew on for tens of meters and turned over several times before it stopped with its tracks up.
The next tank, which was nearby, tried to drive away and at the same time tried to point the barrel in the right direction to shoot, but was grabbed by the same barrel and sent flying into one of the air defense installations, which led to the destruction of both.
Once the Hulk was able to reach the base itself, most of its weapons were no longer suitable for fighting such an enemy, so many people, especially those who had recently joined the organization, began simply trying to leave the combat zone, some simply running away from the base, and some trying to get into the interior of the complex, which was built into the mountain and was behind large steel walls. Unfortunately for them, no one planned to open the steel doors to let them in.
Having dealt with another enemy, Hulk felt small bites all over his back. Turning around, he saw that it was another helicopter that was trying to get him using its machine guns. Already holding a piece of iron in his hand that he could throw at this enemy that was disturbing his fun, he watched as the helicopter was blown up before it could do anything.
- You're falling behind, big guy.
Tony and Alex reached the scene of the fight. The two men began to pass through all the remaining defenses and headed straight for the doors inside the base.
Using his powers, Alex simply washed away all the people who were near the doors and collected everyone into a large ball, where they all drowned.
At the same time, Tony flew up to the entrance panel near the door, tore it out and began to connect to the system.
- Jarvis...
- Please wait sir, the end time of the action... is finished - Tony didn't quite understand whether this was a joke or whether Jarvis simply finished the work faster than he planned, but the gates that began to open didn't give him time to think this thought through to the end.
The opening large iron walls caught the Hulk's attention and he went to meet new opponents.
Watching as the big green carcass quickly ran towards the gate, both avengers did not stand in his way, so the fact that a second after he ran inside he was thrown out of there by a big red beam was shocking for both of them.
Having flown several dozen meters, the Hulk simply fell and was in no hurry to get up.
Without thinking twice, Stark flew up to the very ceiling and looked inside.
In the very center of the passage stood a large installation, behind which stood two people. One stood at the control panel, and the second, loaded with extremis , stood to the side and was like a battery for the weapon.
After examining the device, the engineer came to the conclusion that the installation was more of a prototype, since there was no talk of any mobility, the fact that they were able to hit the Hulk was rather luck that he was running towards them along the trajectory they needed. Therefore, from the chest repulsor , he destroyed the installation, causing an explosion that caught everyone who stood there on guard and built a line of defense.
While Tony dealt with the threats inside, Alex approached their prostrate companion. There was chaos everywhere, so many were only glad that the Hulk left them for this time, which gave those who did not escape a moment to regroup. A quick examination showed that the patient was more alive than dead, but it seemed that this energy attack was much stronger than many that the green big guy received. In the upper half of the body, the green skin turned red, as if the green giant in these places was burned by the sun.
- Tony is wounded, we need cover.
- And I thought it wouldn't be necessary anymore. - A very pleased Stark, who began to enter the bunker, gave the command - Jarvis, now it's our turn
- Yes, sir.
As soon as the team passed, it started raining from the sky. A rain of Iron Man suits of different versions. The entire military defense was built just to repel such an attack, but the intervention of the green rage forced all the defenders to abruptly change their plans, so now they were not ready for an attack from the sky. Only pitiful crumbs tried to strike. Thanks to this, four dozen well-armored exoskeletons were able to land on the ground to continue the chaos that had been here a minute earlier.
While Alex was trying to move his patient into a more closed room, a blue suit with containers all over the body landed behind him, outwardly it resembled Tony's blue suit but with scuba gear, and opened, inviting him to enter.
- It looks like it’s for me – I didn’t think twice and immediately went inside, - now it’s clear why you spend a lot of time inside.
Enjoy - the answer came through the speaker, showing that the creator of the suit heard everything.
On the display in front of him, various data appeared, but the most important were the percentages near each tank on his hand and back.
- This liquid is a chemical that increases the amount of liquid it produces when released from a container, Mr. Stark hoped that you would be able to use it wisely.
- I am generally grateful that he thought about me - at that moment a burst of machine gun fire sounded on his back - well, we'll check it out.
Raising his right hand, the chemical process started and a huge stream of water flew out of the small hose on his hands , which simply blew away the soldier who continued to shoot.
Until the water appeared, Alex did not feel it in his suit with his abilities, but as soon as the soldier flew away, all the liquid that appeared easily came under his control and began to flow back.
- Hohoho this will be cool - the satisfied water lord began to simply release many liters of liquid into the area, creating a small lake under himself. Hundreds of liters of water appeared in the area, and the reserve did not even drop to 90% - this is a very cool thing.
“I’m glad you like it,” Jarvis continued, forcing the suit to move here and there so that its wearer wouldn’t start falling just when using it. “Mr. Stark was developing a model for extinguishing wildfires and therefore made some adjustments so that you could use it.”
- I understand everything, but let's not do it now - covering himself with a dome, Alex began to create huge tentacles, which began to grab everyone they could reach.
The appearance of the "kraken" at a military base in the desert and the invasion of a small army of robots undermined the remnants of morale of almost all of the hundreds of combat-ready people; only a few dozen fighters remained, and even they continued to fight because they were all under the serum and could therefore regenerate their injuries.
Several of these soldiers were able to capture one of the armors that flew too close to them and using high temperatures were able to burn through it.
The brave soldiers couldn't enjoy their victory because a new problem was already waiting for them in the form of a water tentacle that grabbed one by the head. The remaining two wanted to help, but they didn't have time, another tentacle arrived and grabbed him by the legs. The ability to heal injuries doesn't help when you are torn in two and left without a brain in your body. The survivors tried to escape, but their fate was sealed.
While Alex was distracted by the soldiers and the extremist, one of the surviving tanks aimed its barrel at the target under the water and shield and fired.
Agggh - the blow to the back was unexpected. Dividing its concentration into many things, the water dome could not withstand the blow, fortunately, the armor took the rest of the blow.
The unfamiliar controls made themselves felt when getting up and standing on your feet was much more difficult than it might have seemed before. Not knowing the capabilities of the suit pilot, it was decided to simply envelop yourself in water and lift yourself up.
As soon as I did this and turned around, the tank that had recently fired a shot decided to ram and try to crush the mutant.
This turned out to be an impossible goal for them, because in order to get there they had to drive through the solution that was around.
Like a powerful geyser, the thickness of the water threw the tank into the air for tens of meters, and landing on several trucks that exploded took the tank's crew out of the battle.
- Looks like the battle is won here - after losing a few armors, the rest went into flight mode and started shooting with everything they had at the remaining soldiers.
Alex was distracted from contemplating the battlefield by the rumble inside the base. And the fact that his patient had come to and run away somewhere. It wasn't hard to put these facts together.
****
Iron Man moved along the corridor of the complex.
Right behind the doors, near the cannon that was able to throw the Hulk back, a line of defense was built where everyone who could hold a weapon ran. That's why they all died there in the explosion.
By gaining access to the gate, Jarvis was able to break into the network and gain access to cameras and maps. One of the cameras shows Killian, his eyes glowing, leading Pepper down a hallway.
It was worth understanding where to go as the Mark42 accelerated and began to jerk move from turn to turn.
It wasn't long before Tony found them both. With his hand on Pepper's head , threatening to "warm her up" if she didn't listen, Killian led them to a secret exit.
- PEPPER - seeing his beloved, he could not resist and drew attention to himself.
the beginnings of joy that had not been there for several days appeared in her voice .
- Ahhhhh Tony Stark himself decided to visit us - turning around and in the same position but already taking slow steps back, Killian took a small remote control out of his pocket.
- Everything will be fine now that I'm here.
- I wouldn't be so sure that everything will be fine. - showing the remote control in his hand - take a few steps and check if you can survive under the rubble.
- Let her go and we'll figure this out one on one.
Bringing his face closer to the girl's neck, Killian took a deep breath - Ahh, what words, you're a real American hero, what do you think?
- Go to hell - she clearly didn't like what was happening - I'd rather die than be with you.
- Aaa, how do you like it? Just like in a cheap action movie! - Both of them didn't like the answer and anger began to cloud their eyes, and hatred for Stark made them abandon their escape plans.
With one sharp movement of his hand, he threw the girl into the wall, causing her to hit the wall and lose consciousness.
Sstark , now even more angry , did not waste time and began charging the generator in his chest while Killian was quickly approaching him.
The shot was fired when it was ready, but by dropping to the ground and rolling across the floor, Killian was able to get close to the stark.
The red hand swung, but by pulling his leg back Tony was able to avoid a direct hit. Jarvis had already shown footage where a direct hit could easily burn through titanium alloy, so the first priority was to prevent a direct hit.
And so the game between them began. Several attacks led to several steps back, with each step there was a repulsor shot , not all hit, and those that did did not give the desired effect, only delaying the head of AIM.
- That Stark - the madness was visible even without the scanners on the mask - now you are mine, and then she will be mine.
- Sorry, but you're not my type. - Darts were released from the shoulder pads that extended, specifically for neutralizing people, and considering that it was not the time to save, all the ammunition was used at once.
This trick slightly reduced the ardor with which the attack was conducted. Although " extremis " made it possible to survive fatal wounds, the pain from any blow was transmitted completely.
One projectile was enough to knock a man out, and Killian received more than a dozen of them, but was still standing. Confident in his victory, Stark did not expect such resilience from his opponent, so he missed the stream of flame that his opponent released from his mouth.
The stream of fire burned out some of the vision sensors on the suit, which made it possible to knock him to the ground.
The distant rumble began to increase as they clashed. Trying to reach the enemy that was pressing on him, Stark screamed in pain when a fiery hand simply entered his leg, cutting through the metal.
- How long have I waited for this - he pulled out his hand and pointed it at the helmet - not a day went by that I didn’t remember that humiliation.
And I... didn't even think about you... until you appeared hahahahaha - the rumble was getting closer and closer.
- Yes, yes, laugh before you die - he raised his hand for a finishing blow - this is the last thing you will do.
Literally a few meters away from the fight in the corridor, the wall was simply destroyed . The big green monster simply smashed the wall that was in the bunker. Each crash was a breach of one of the walls while the Hulk rushed inside the complex in a fit of rage.
Having broken through this wall, he went on to destroy obstacles in order to reach a goal known only to him.
The fight was interrupted for a few seconds until the uninvited guest walked through the corridor, making doors for himself where the builders' plans did not provide.
At that moment, two gloves separated from Stark's suit and grabbed the enemy who was sitting on top and began to lift him up to the ceiling.
- Jarvis, destroy the gloves.
Two small explosions and a new cry of rage were heard in the corridor. The madman who had just lost his arms looked angrily at his opponent who himself could barely get up after the wound. Even having lost his arms, such an opponent was dangerous, and looking at the regeneration process that had already begun, Tony did not hesitate and used a uni- beam from his chest and made another large hole right in the center of his opponent.
Killian's expression froze in disbelief at his defeat as his body fell to the floor. Taking careful steps to avoid damaging his leg which was more on the side due to his armor, Tony checked and looked down and couldn't believe it. The hole in his chest was already starting to heal but his body wasn't making any movement.
- When will you die? - Stark took off his helmet and placed it on the head of the defeated man.
Taking a few steps towards his girlfriend, another explosion was heard and helmet fragments flew in different directions.
- Pepper , pepper - through the pain he tried to wake her up and was able to achieve results.
- Tony what... - they were distracted from the solemn reunion by the fact that the complex began to collapse, a quick thought about the Hulk who was frolicking here ran through the genius's head.
- We're not leaving now.
The attempt to get out through the wall that their green friend had entered was partially successful. Since it was difficult to fly away in an incomplete suit, they did not have time to leave the complex before the destruction began.
Pepper's back causing red spots on her body that healed her. Seeing Tony's condition and that he couldn't move fast she tried to help as much as she could, but there was little time.
A large slab broke off from the ceiling and threatened to bury them both. Until help arrived at the last moment.
Mark 7 hovered above them and tried to hold the slab.
Two more suits quickly flew towards them, grabbed both of them and began to pull them out of the rapidly collapsing building.
While they were being pulled out before Pepper came out I saw how several dozen suits, occupying different points along the corridor of broken walls, stood and kept the passage open and not literally blocked by their bodies.
It was only worth getting out of the held corridor, as a few seconds later the passage behind them collapsed, burying under it many suits that had been created since the arrival of Iron Man.
Taking a few sips of fresh air, she immediately rushed to Tony, who had lost consciousness and was bleeding from his head.
Before they could do anything, another suit of armor appeared next to them , from which Alex emerged and began to help his friend.
- Will he be okay? - Pepper was very worried , but seeing the nod and smile in response, she calmed down a little.

Chapter Text

- After the shocking kidnapping of the president, we learned the names of those responsible for this terrorist act….
Click
- The company "Agency for Innovative Mechanics" (AIM) was subjected to a full search of employees of all departments...
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- The Avengers have once again proven their usefulness to the world.
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Due to recent events, countries that had put their troops on combat alert have reversed their decision and their armies…
Click
- If you want to know, this whole situation is bad, the only thing that could go better is if those damn "superheroes" died.
The TV in the VIP ward of the hospital turned off.
- Hey, leave it, I was watching.
Happy Hogan, head of security for Stark Industries, couldn't stand watching this nonsense any longer and turned to look at the patient in the room.
- Tony, how can you watch this?
The patient himself was feeling quite well. There were no signs of injury on him, the only reason he was there was a personal threat from his CEO that if he left the room, there would be punishment.
- That's the only thing here. Watching all these people go crazy.
- Tony, this is not funny people... - they were distracted by Bruce's banner entering the room
- Oh Bruce, tell me I can leave this place? Or at least give me something to work with, I'm dying of boredom here.
- Tony, only a couple of days have passed since Alexey performed the operation, plus you were exhausted from constant work, you need to rest.
- And where is he himself? He's probably resting somewhere already.
- Actually, according to my information - Happy checked his tablet - he has now returned to Russia and is calming his politicians down so that they don’t take any serious action.
- You know, you're all in cahoots - in feigned anger, the patient stood up and began to pace the ward - I'll remember this to all of you.
No one took the billionaire's "threats" seriously.
- How are you doing Bruce? - Tony looked out the window trying to find something - you look refreshed.
A small smile appeared on the scientist’s face – You know, everything is fine now, I can’t believe it, after so many years I finally feel calm and don’t feel the anger that was constantly inside me.
After Hulk fought his way through the destroyed complex, he screamed and returned control to Bruce.
- It looks like our "little" friend ate, played and decided to go to bed.
- Tony, this is not a game, Hulk has killed a lot of people.
- I know it's not a game, but you feel better because of it, right?
- Yes, but I wouldn’t want to…
- Well then this is a solvable issue, if Hulk makes himself known again, let me know, we’ll come up with something.
After the inner beast appeared for the first time, Bruce's life changed forever, as soon as his pulse went over 200 beats per minute, the Hulk appeared in its place. Stress, danger, even intimacy, all this and much more awakened the green guy. For many years he tried to fight it, but right now his body felt light and there was no pressure that if he relaxed, the Hulk would come into his life again.
- Bruce, I don't know much about you, but maybe while you have the opportunity you can relax.
Great idea Happy, we need to arrange a trip to Vegas for him: alcohol, women, he will need to undergo a full course of "Relaxotherapy".
- What "Relaxotherapy" in Vegas are you talking about, Tony?
While the conversation was going on, the men did not notice how the general director herself entered the room, and the look she cast at the patient did not bode well.
“And how can we get out of this when she holds all the cards?”
*****
Several vans were driving through the city's night streets. Driving through most of the city, he entered the industrial area and stopped near one of the warehouses.
Well-armed men with machine guns and masks through which only their eyes were visible began to emerge from the vans, and at their head was a large man with clean-shaven skin under a helmet in a white, blue and red suit and a shield in his hands.
- You all know what to do! We get there and hack everyone who's there.
- Yes, captain! - the soldiers' quiet voices responded.
This was already the thirteenth or nineteenth mission for Alexei Shestakov, who began to be called the guardian of Russia or the government dog, depending on who was talking. But he did not consider himself either one or the other.
For many months after his release from Ledov's laboratory, he carried out missions across the country with a group of operatives consisting of government soldiers and the doctor's own small but personal army.
Preventing terrorism, rescuing hostages, attacking hostile cells. He did it all with great pleasure. The only thing he missed was more freedom between missions, but even that was better than sitting in jail.
Now there was a new mission, the goal of which was the complete destruction of the supply base used by the terrorists.
The squad, led by the super soldier, moved as quietly as possible to reach the warehouse that intelligence had pointed out to them.
Without saying a word and using only gestures, they began to get closer and closer to their target, some soldiers fell behind and began to disperse to take positions on the roofs and at the exit from the territory of future military operations.
Near the entrance to the building there were two people standing and talking, they could have been mistaken for ordinary workers who work the night shift, but the weapons sticking out from under their clothes showed that they were not just workers.
In order to make less noise, two soldiers went to eliminate them quietly. If one was taken out with a good blow from the butt of a machine gun, then the woman who was sent to them several missions ago made a good undercut and finished off this man with one blow.
The Guardian was not the leader of the group, but was considered more of a symbol and a shock force, so he did not know all those with whom he worked. This person appeared in their squad several missions ago and showed herself to be a professional in her field. If it were not for the certainty that all the widows are now in Dreykov's service, he would have taken her for one of them.
Having removed the two bodies from the passage, the assault began very quickly; there was no time to waste because the cameras could alert everyone inside.
The guard himself was the first to enter through the broken door, covering himself with a round shield and shooting from a pistol at those who were in the access zone. Then, several people with shields, but with more modern models, followed him.
A shootout began, the people inside the warehouse quickly grabbed their weapons and began shooting back. While they were distracted, other soldiers began to penetrate through the windows, covered by snipers.
Almost overwhelming everyone who was here with firepower, the warehouse was cleared quickly. All those who managed to survive the beginning of the assault began to descend into the basement.
Having made sure that the area was safe, a search began. Opening the boxes revealed the presence of many different types of weapons and equipment.
- Good catch guys, now we need to smoke these rats out of there. - Alexey was in high spirits, from a well-done operation.
- We have a problem - the commander in charge of the mission approached Shestakov. - On our maps there are no rooms down here.
- So they could have anything there.
Similar problems were common during missions and never brought anything good for the group, most often there were many traps and ambushes to be set up.
- We have no choice but to finish them off completely anyway. - The guard, a little inspired, began to prepare to be a target for the enemies again.
Approaching the stairs that led down and were being watched by several people, the super soldier raised his shield and began a slow descent.
As we got closer to the end, grenades were thrown down which were supposed to distract if there was anyone there, but there was no one there.
A poorly lit corridor with no end in sight met a former prisoner and seven other people. It was very strange that they were not met on the approach, so it was very alarming and an attack was expected at any moment.
Moving carefully and looking ahead, his heightened hearing made him turn around. But there was only silence.
The only thing that caught my attention was that there were six of them besides him.
- We lost a fighter.
- Where is the diesel fuel? - One of the fighters at the end of the column was confused, because he was definitely not the last one.
Realizing that there was someone here, everyone dispersed and began throwing light sticks. One of the thrown sticks ended up near the boot of the so-called "solary" who was lying with and bleeding.
- Your mother - a clearly unrestrained soldier attracted attention to himself and received a direct hit from a knife right in the eye slit of the mask.
With the loss of another one, it was decided to call in more people, but a shootout began where they came from.
At that moment, an enemy appeared from the ceiling, covered by the light of a lamp, who had already been classified as especially dangerous. His most striking attribute was a metal arm with a bright red star on his shoulder.
Falling on two more and instantly killing one with his hand. And the second with another knife.
- This is a winter soldier bitch - at the moment of his identification one of the soldiers started shooting at him, but he dodged, covered himself with his body and was able to survive the hail of bullets.
The slight confusion from using their brother's body gave the terrorist the opportunity to attack. He threw the corpse aside, took out a pistol and ran to another one and fired a shot, and then another and another.
The last shot should have hit the woman, but the guard's shield was able to cover her.
A few seconds later, there were only three of them left in the corridor.
- Don't interfere, I can handle it myself.
The Guardian versus the Winter Soldier, like two fighters in a ring, stood and prepared to fight each other.
A quick dash with a shield was met with a blow from an iron hand. Strike, strike, dodge, shoot. Strike from above with the shield, jump back, block the blow to the legs.
Never before had the guard fought such a strong opponent in a combat situation, the soldier was not inferior in strength to the guard, and the iron hand gave him an advantage. Now Alexey was grateful that he had completed a training course, if not for this, he would have already lost.
The two super soldiers tried to kill each other by any means necessary. At one point, the winter soldier made a feint and was able to grab the shield with his hand and throw the guardian into the wall that was trying to hold him.
Throwing his shield aside, the winter soldier quickly walked towards the rising guard and began to strike.
Left punch block block punch right.
It was difficult to hold back the terrorist, especially when he had you pinned against the wall.
One missed blow to the side was enough for the first to be followed by a second to the leg and a third to the head.
Looking at the defeated enemy, the super terrorist raised his hand for a control blow, but then the girl forgotten in the battle made her move.
A blow to the back of the knee and a grab on the arm allowed him to maneuver and throw the soldier over himself, which created distance between them.
Bang bang bang
The soldier was able to protect himself from the bullets flying at his head with his hand and relentlessly walked towards the new enemy.
The new fight was completely different, the opponent was now smaller and faster. The blows were exchanged with grabs and throws until they managed to grab the woman's mask.
In order to escape, I had to leave the mask and the woman’s identity became visible.
A young, beautiful woman with short platinum hair looked at her target, her face devoid of any emotion.
Before the next round began, they started shooting at the masked man from the corridor. Realizing that they wouldn't let him finish here, he started running away, and the blonde went in pursuit of him.
Having come to his senses a little, Alexey could not believe what he saw.
- Lena, is it really you? - old memories that he had not appreciated before began to weigh on him. He had no desire to leave her to fight the winter soldier alone, so the negotiations pain Guardian stood up and went after them. Having run through several corridors and not finding anyone, he headed in a random direction. Entering a large room, he saw something he had never been prepared for.
- Your mother.
*****
Boom
There were only two people working out in the gym at the moment, and one of them was now roughly sent down on the mat on his back.
- Ohhhh, can you be gentler, Natasha? I didn't think you'd beat me like that.
To which his opponent only smiled contentedly and called him over to her for a new round.
- Come on, come on, Alex, if I'm gentler with you, you'll relax.
After a light training session, sparring was suggested and here she is, sending him to the mat for the umpteenth time.
- If I wanted to relax with you, I would have chosen another place.
To which the girl made several blows and a sweep, after which her opponent again went flying.
With a satisfied smile, she stood and watched as one of the strongest heroes of the earth rose up only to fall again in the future.
“You know, it’s not fair,” the redhead’s eyebrow rose, “I’m getting distracted.”
And there was plenty to distract herself with. The sports top and tight pants served more as a skin cover than as a concealment of her athletic body.
- And you consider this another training session.
After which she made a maneuver and his head ended up between her thighs and using inertia sent him into a new flight.
You know if I ever die, it's better like this. Between your legs.
The comment she heard clearly excited her, but she was unable to start a new series because water bonds appeared around her arms and legs.
- This is unfair.
- Who would say, but to use your spy gadgets honestly?
- What kind of things are these?
As the girl hung in the air, Alex raised his hands to the level of her chest and began to bring them closer with the clear intention of what he wanted to do.
But at the last moment he directs them to her waist and begins to tickle.
The girl endures for a while, but then clearly begins to resist and try to break free, although it is clear from her face that she is holding back her laughter as best she can.
- Okay, that's enough for today - and having slapped her on the soft spot, he quickly went to the shower before the killer decided to take revenge on him.
****
The door to the office of the best, albeit unrecognized, doctor opened.
- And so I hold them all while they reach for the red button - Alex was telling an amazing story about saving the world after he returned from America, while the spy also pretended to admire this story - and then I still had to persuade everyone not to do stupid things.
“You’re a real hero,” the smile from such a false and made-up story never left her face, “and you saved the world, and you weren’t even awarded.”
- Yes, life is thankless, you have to be happy with what you have.
- Well, if you want – she came very close to him and began to speak in a seductive tone – we can spend the evening together, maybe we can find the right way….
He was already starting to have flashbacks to their previous night, but he forced himself to stop it and the smile disappeared from his face.
- Natasha, this is a very tempting offer, but I'm afraid you won't be in such a good mood by the evening. - Her eyebrow rose, clearly asking why. - I think you won't be in such a good mood this evening.
He took her by the shoulders and pushed her to sit down on the chair, and he went to his desk.
“I know we have an agreement, that’s why you’re here,” all the lightness in her demeanor was gone, “and I’m going to keep it, so I ask you to sit here and be quiet.
Alex liked her professionalism and the fact that she understood when to do what she was told and when to take action.
Literally a minute later, a video conversation began from the computer.
- Good afternoon, General, how are you?
- Ahhh it's you, I didn't expect you to call me. - a large, elderly man with gray hair and glasses was sitting at a table against the backdrop of a bookcase. - My affairs don't really concern you. What do you want?
Hearing the voice of the man Natasha hated with all her soul brought back memories of the red room and her childhood. Ledov said that he had previously been connected with Dreykov, but the fact that he could call and talk to him like that was a big revelation for her.
- When we agreed that one of your widows would join the cleanup team, you didn't mention that it would be her.
- Does this matter? We agreed that I would provide you with information and ask for my agent to be in the group.
- It so happened that this particular widow is of some importance to me.
- Well, that's good, it means you're interested in her not dying.
Natasha listened to their conversation and anger boiled inside her. Dreykov spoke of her sister as if she were a consumable that could be thrown away if she became unnecessary. And even if she grew up the same way. It only showed how much she didn't like it.
- Maybe so, but you should guess that I am not doing this for myself, but if you give her to me, then believe me, I will not be greedy and will compensate you for the loss of such an asset.
Natasha could hear laughter on the screen, but she could not see the general's face from her position.
- I'm sure you can offer me something, but even if I agree and hand her over. That red-haired beast will immediately go looking for me. So tell her that if she appears anywhere near me, her little sister will be in a very bad way.
At that moment, this beast jumped up from her chair and stood next to the owner of the office, looking at the face of the man she hated so much.
- This beast heard everything, don't worry, I'm sure we'll meet soon and then you'll regret that you didn't agree to do everything the good way.
After which she pressed the button and the session was interrupted. So many bad memories needed to be released, but the only person who was there was trying to help her, so he definitely didn't deserve to be taken out on.
- Let's go - seeing her state, Alex understood that she needed to take a little break, so he put his arm around her waist and led her out of the office - we have something to talk about.

Chapter Text

Having brought a beautiful woman to the restaurant, the two of them sat in a private area so they could discuss business undisturbed while Alex explained the situation. Although it would have been better to simply have dinner with her than discuss business, not everything goes as planned. Several plates of various desserts were placed in front of them.
- A few days ago, Alexey and his squad stormed a facility - Natasha studied the data on the tablet very carefully - a secret laboratory for mutant research was discovered there.
Listening to all this, she scrolled further, and the photos that were taken clearly weren't appetizing to the average person. Numerous dissected bodies lay either on tables or elsewhere, ready for cremation, and those who survived were caged like animals.
"According to the information we obtained, some of those in the photo demonstrated their abilities and then disappeared. Relatives reported them missing, but the authorities were unable to help."
- And where did the survivors go?
- They have been transported to a place where they can be taken care of.
"They traded one cell for another," a bitter smile crossed her face, but even so, she couldn't immediately come up with an alternative for the survivors. After all, if people who've been through this were simply let go, it wouldn't be better for anyone.
- Whatever you think, there are those who have difficulty acquiring these abilities, and some are too dangerous, so they contact me online and specialists try to help these people so they can return to normal life.
- So you yourself have a laboratory with mutants?
Alex looked calmly into her gaze.
"It's more of a shelter for those in need, for those who need help. Believe me, if you see it, you'll understand."
It seems she decided to trust him and put this issue off until later.
"I didn't think you and Dreykov were so close," she said, deciding to change the subject and try the desserts they'd brought them.
"I wouldn't say we're close. If we were left in a room together, only one would come out. But we have common interests on certain issues, so we're willing to tolerate each other for the sake of our mutual benefit. You, more than anyone, should understand that."
And she understood that her job involved frequently circulating in criminal circles to find a specific target, but at the same time ensuring that informants and accomplices did not end up behind bars or killed.
"He's difficult to deal with," he continued, helping himself to a piece of dessert. "He may call himself a communist, but he'll never give up power. If he had his way, he'd bring back the Soviet Union, because he used to be an important figure, respected by everyone, but now he hides and tries to act discreetly to avoid attracting attention."
"So what now?" Alex's raised eyebrow indicated he didn't understand the question. "What's not Elena's account?"
“I don’t think the general will send her to me again now. Most likely, he will really keep her close to him, at least so that you don’t act against him so openly.”
- So it looks like it's time for me to return to the shield.
"That's your right, of course, but do you really want to come back?" Her expression clearly showed she was very interested in what he had to say. "As you can see, for some, mutants are simply opportunities and a resource, but I don't want to end up on that table in the future if I suddenly become an inconvenience, so I'd feel more at ease if you were nearby and had my back."
She understood his feelings. She'd been dependent on someone her whole life, and if she made a mistake somewhere , they could easily send a squad to eliminate her, and she didn't have many friends who could truly protect her.
"Just to cover your back?" Her gaze teased the man sitting opposite her.
"Your fame is no less than mine, and in some circles, even greater. I want to get people on our side. You can even guess why I do these streams; I work for the good of society."
- If intrigues are started against you, then the general masses will be on your side.
"Yes, and they're already underway. We're in the same boat, just like Tony and Bruce and even Steve. There are people who don't need us here, and they'll do anything to maintain power. I'm sure you'll be fine as long as you're under Fury's protection , but he has superiors too, and he follows orders, too."
The clear hint that they could get rid of her too did not escape her.
"You know, I could have kept hiding and operating on the rich and famous, who would have paid me and kept quiet after that," he continued, looking sadly and thoughtfully at the glass, "but the moment the Chitauri invaded Earth through the portal, I realized this was my chance to make a name for myself and not have to hide. If I do it right, I can live without fear of them coming for me tomorrow. I don't plan on spending the rest of my life proving my usefulness. I plan to start a family someday, and with such a legacy, I need to make sure people don't even think of using them against me."
Memories of the experiments Dreykov's people had conducted on him stirred a storm in his soul. For some people, starting a family and simply living without fear is a normal thing, but not for the people sitting at this table.
-What do you want from me?
"Right now, you're the most desirable woman in the world," her smile widened slightly as she recalled what she sometimes read online. "If you position yourself correctly, many will follow you. But if you return, Dreykov will let your sister go on missions again, and then who knows where or what she'll do. Unfortunately, I'm currently in a stalemate; I don't have enough influence to pressure his people in the Kremlin, and he can't do the same to me because of my actions as a national hero."
- There should be a but here!
"But you can help me increase that influence if you join my camp. I'm short on personnel with your expertise, and what happened in the governor's house was just a test." His gaze grew a little dreamy. "Just imagine my potential combined with your beauty and people-management skills. We could build the future we want."
"That's all very flattering of you, of course, but you're probably forgetting that I work for a foreign intelligence agency, and they won't let me go that easily. They already called me and said the director isn't happy with my work, and the only reason they haven't brought me back is because there's so much chaos going on with AIM and the former vice president that they simply don't have time for me right now."
They looked into each other's eyes, clearly thinking about their own things.
- What if I can come to an agreement with Fury ?
- And what will you offer him?
- That's my problem. But I can't do anything if you don't agree, so it's up to you to decide.
And then Natasha realized that for the first time in her life, after the red room and the shield, she had a choice of which path to take next.
****
The door to Stark Tower opened and a black man walked in, walking confidently until he found his target working in his lab.
- Tony
Applause broke out in the room.
- Our national hero decided to honor us with his presence.
Having broken away from his work, the genius stood up and they greeted each other.
-What do I owe to your arrival? Have they really finished presenting your awards?
Rowdy's cheerful mood disappeared.
- Tony, where is my suit?
"What do you mean?" The colonel had known his friend for a long time and understood when he was blatantly lying to him, but the question remained: why was he doing it?
"You know what I'm talking about! After the president was released, the Patriot suit departed for an unknown destination. It's appeared in several parts of the world since then, and many people think it's me flying around and trespassing."
Crossing airspace with such an armed object could lead to many problems, so he was sent to the only person who could help with this issue.
- What do you want from me, Rowdy ?
- So that you can help find him and return him?
“I’m sorry, but I can’t,” he said, throwing up his hands innocently.
- How can you not?
- You probably forgot that when you were given the prototype armor, you wanted me to be unable to influence it in any way, and therefore Stark Industries could only carry out repairs and nothing more.
- Tony is a completely different case, without a suit we will have problems.
- We? Personally, I'm doing fine in this regard, except for the fact that a rocket I designed landed on my house.
Rhodey looked at his friend, confused. After all that had happened, he'd completely forgotten how it all started. Now everything had fallen into place. If the government had done it once, what was stopping them from doing it again? So his inaction was due to him leaving them to deal with the problem themselves. And when they exhausted their options, Stark himself would set his own terms and take as much as he could from the government, and then some.
- I understand you Tony, I just hope that you don’t overdo it with what you do.
- Don't worry, I have a vacation planned for the near future. So I'll be full of energy and ready for whatever comes next.
After talking a little more and finding out about the planned vacation and resolving other issues, the colonel left his friend’s laboratory.
Returning to his desk, Strak decided to continue his work.
- Jarvis, contact Yumiko and tell her she's doing a great job and to keep up the good work.
- Yes sir.
*****
In a small settlement where cell towers had not yet been installed, several hundred people lived their lives.
The men of this tribe went hunting very often and had just returned with a good catch, which is why the tribe had a feast.
The sun was already setting below the horizon; some fires were being lit to cook the carcasses caught during the hunt , while the rest were being lit to provide light for the tribe.
Predators had not come to this area for a long time, so people felt at ease, at least if they watched what was under their feet.
The tribal chief sat and enjoyed life, clearly enjoying his position surrounded by women.
Everything was fine until an unknown sound began to grow louder from somewhere above.
At first, no one heard it, but over time it began to get louder and then people began to look for a possible source.
- Buk bak chik pak - noticing something in the sky, one of the tribe members pointed his finger up and everyone paid attention.
A flying machine was descending from the sky towards them.
Seeing something strange but dangerous, the leader began shouting commands. Everyone who had been watching before began to act.
The women began to grab their children and run to hide in all the secluded places that were in the settlement, and the men grabbed their weapons and went with the leader to a meeting or, most likely, to a battle.
When the leader and his entourage came out into the open, the bright light from the ship blinded them and it was difficult for them to understand how such a beast ended up on the ground.
Everyone shuddered when this iron monster, unknown to many, began to open its mouth and people unfamiliar to the tribe began to emerge from it; they were all wearing different shabby clothes and their faces were not visible behind the masks.
The leader understood that if a battle began , they would not win, but there was a chance to come to an agreement due to ignorance of what all these guests wanted.
But before he could say anything, all the guests began to raise their weapons, and a moment later the leader and his entourage began to fall and their bodies began to convulse.
The only child who was able to distance himself from the tribe watched as his tribe was thrown into cages and sent inside this iron monster, after which it took off and left nothing behind but empty huts.
*****
- I can't believe I agreed to take part in this.
- You talk as if I sent you to hard labor. I think you look great.
The traditional red dress with white sleeves and a red headscarf created a completely new image for the femme fatale that the whole world knew.
- You'll owe me for this.
"I have no doubt about it." Dressing the Black Widow in such clothes was clearly worth it, judging by the Russian hero's smile.
Besides the two of them, there were several other girls in similar outfits and several men holding a balalaika, button accordion, and wooden spoons.
Industries private jet landed at the airport. When the plane pulled into the hangar, a greeter was already waiting for them inside.
Stark was in complete shock as he exited the plane . Aside from Alex, who was there to greet him, the billionaire wasn't prepared for such a welcoming party, so as he and his girlfriend descended the steps, they encountered several pretty women in red sundresses holding a large loaf of bread with a small space in the center for salt.
- Welcome to Russia, my American friends. This is for your future well-being.
The American guests watched this with a bit of shock, while nearby music began to play. After greeting each other, they were both forced to observe tradition and eat a piece of the loaf as a greeting. Of course, this wasn't exactly the right place for the loaf, but then, that wasn't its purpose. Just a few meters away, a shield spy stood, trying to blend in, taking photos of everything that was happening.
- It's quite cold here now, so this is for you.
Out of nowhere, Alex suddenly appeared with an ushanka hat, which he quickly placed on the billionaire's head. The guest also found a bottle of vodka. Pepper was given a nice hat and a stylish coat.
The American guests were shocked by what was happening; they had just gotten off the plane and were already showered with gifts, albeit strange ones, for which neither of them were prepared.
As soon as Alex walked away from them, Natasha came up and took a good photo.
A billionaire in an expensive suit with an earflaps hat and a bottle of vodka, with a woman in a coat and a large fur hat.
- Ledov, if this photo turns out to be...
- Believe me, this photo will end up all over the world.
Pepper suddenly ran up to Natasha and started looking at what had happened, and then they started editing something.
Looking at this, Tony could only ask one question: Are you kidding me?
- Just a little bit - and then he put his arm around his shoulders and led him towards the limousine - you Americans imagine Russians exactly like this, well, all that's left is to pick up the bear that's waiting at the exit and we'll close several topics at once.
Before they left the meeting place, a group photo was taken, and already leaving the airport, Iron Man was afraid that he would actually meet a bear waiting for them, otherwise after such a greeting, one could expect anything.
Literally a couple of minutes after the car was posted, the photos taken on social media were flying like hot cakes.

Chapter Text

News of the American billionaire hero's arrival spread quickly thanks to photos posted online. Some were perplexed by his arrival, others were delighted, but everyone could only speculate, and no one knew what was going on.
Of course, there was no point in just flying in, but resolving a few issues and relaxing at the same time sounded much better.
After the ceremonial arrival, the guests were transported to the house, where a table with a variety of prepared dishes was already set up and where they could sit quietly and chat, as well as check the health of the director of one of the leading American companies before the operation to remove from the body the Extremis serum that Killian had injected into her.
"I actually think Bruce will be with you," Tony and Alex said, leaving the girls to chat and going about their business.
- He found a reason not to go after Hulk calmed down a bit.
- Is he still sleeping?
- No, our green friend made himself known, but he was acting calmly, so Bruce went to sort this out with a certain Betty Ross.
- Wasn't that his ex? He definitely went to see her to sort things out?
- He didn’t specify, but it became clear to both of them why he went to see his ex-girlfriend, with whom they had a lot in common.
- Well, let him figure it out, he needs to take care of his health.
They settled in at the workstation where Alex broadcasts and communicates with people. After a quick setup, the broadcast began.
- Hello everyone, today we will have another member of the Avengers with us...
another broadcast began , which attracted a lot of public attention, considering that one of the most beloved heroes in the world found himself in an awkward situation when communicating with so many people, even Jarvis, filtering messages, did not help.
- Yes, I'm in Russia now.
- No, the communists are not holding me captive.
- We are not having a party here, I was simply offered to communicate with people directly, so I agreed.
- I don't have a super suit with me right now.
Considering that just recently photos of Tony in a slightly different outfit have been circulating online, the Soviet ushanka hat ended up on his head more for the sake of attracting attention than for the sake of keeping him warm.
"We have a little gift for you – at some point in the broadcast, when Stark was already tired of answering questions, the owner of the house attached virtual reality devices that had been installed in advance to himself – after the Battle of New York, people all over the world wrote that they should have done this, or that, when fighting alien threats, so Tony and I will give you this opportunity.
The camera turned slightly and the frame captured an installation that held the man in place but at the same time allowed him to move freely. After putting on gloves and boots, he put on a helmet and started the device.
A first-person broadcast of the Battle of New York appeared on screens around the world. Explosions, wounded soldiers, and civilians falling and not rising were everywhere. Somewhere in the distance, the images of the Avengers could be seen.
a beam hit him and he died.
The character's quick death confused the player himself.
"Well, let's try again," but even that didn't help them get even a few steps further. Wherever the character went, a trap or a new wave of enemies awaited them.
"Let me show you how it's done." While the small playful beating was going on, the former playboy donned another set and stepped into another nearby setup , but even that didn't produce much of a result. Between the two of them, they couldn't achieve anything significant. The only difference was that the first one to be "killed" watched the other suffer.
- What? It doesn't work as well without a suit?
"Ha, watch and learn!" After Tony entered the access code, his character unlocked and a first-person Iron Man battle began on screen, watched by millions. Of course, it couldn't completely replicate the original, but it was enough to impress everyone.
- As you can see, we've prepared, this is an exact replica of what happened that day, so everyone who is ready can join us and take part in this, gather groups, develop strategies, over time your characters will acquire new powers and you will be able to show off your skills.
While the game was being explained, the action continued on the screens, with Iron Man failing and only the Hulk remaining alive. For a moment, everything froze, and then a huge explosion was heard as a nuclear missile landed in midtown Manhattan.
- And here's what will happen if you can't handle it? Show us everything you can. See you all.
And then the broadcast ended.
- Bravo bravo Bravo - with a small round of applause from the girls who had previously been sitting and chatting quietly and without disturbing them, they watched the show to the end. - Tony, I'm surprised, I didn't think you were also involved in games.
- I am a man of many talents, Miss Potts, you have probably forgotten that.
- I just don’t understand why you need all this?
Alex began to explain, getting out of the equipment. “The first is that it will shut up many people who say that if he had the same suit as Tony, he would have managed it himself.”
- Oh yes, this is very important - the red-haired spy’s sarcasm brought a smile to everyone’s faces.
"But seriously, in five to ten years, there will be a lot of squads with superpowers like the Avengers. And the people who play these games will approach the issue with imagination. Imagine if a group of people could develop a strategy for ordinary soldiers in such combat conditions. If something similar happens again, people will be prepared to face such an enemy and won't die not knowing what to do."
At that moment, the girls looked at each other, unsure what to say. They both wanted to say that these were just toys, but they couldn't say that right now, because creating tactics was just the tip of the iceberg, and how much more could eventually be added as software under the guise of a game.
- Now that explains what kind of consoles you created for all of this - and then it dawned on her - they are coming out today.
The CEO of Stark Industries immediately began calling her assistants and adjusting their actions.
"It all looks and sounds very complicated," Natasha thought about how these opportunities could be applied in practice, since any conditions could be created that could have a positive effect on the preparation of agents .
"Yes, it took some effort," Stark boasted a little proudly. "
Advanced Level Technology for Real-time Online Navigation (ALTRON)" (ALTRON for short) . We had to create another AI that will process everything that happens there and give us the best possible tactics and strategies that people around the world will come up with. For example, right now it's just a battle in the city, and later we'll add scenarios where people around the world will bring us ready-made strategies and tactics with the most possible and impossible scenarios.
The only woman left in the room examined the installation, and then her gaze became very cunning.
- Show me how it works?
****
Good afternoon, Anatoly Lyapin again, and today we'll be following the grand opening of the hospital founded by Alexey Ledov, a Russian superhero and a man who broadcasts live gaming content to the world. Just the other day, he and fellow businessman Tony Stark launched virtual reality consoles worldwide. According to our data, millions of copies have already been sold in just a few days, with even more awaiting delivery. This was a shock for many people, as there was no advertising or preparation; no one knew about them until they were put up for sale. Some footage online now shows people scrambling to buy one. Stark Industries has already announced that there are still plenty of units in stock, so additional deliveries will be made in the coming days. They're asking people to wait and remain calm.
The presenter took a short break to check the information.
"But all this is a matter for the near future. Right now, preparations are underway for the grand opening of the establishment of the man who, they say, can cure any disease. We have our correspondent, Tatyana, with us at the ceremony, right in the center of the action. Tatyana, what's going on there right now?"
A window appeared next to the presenter , where the correspondent herself stood facing the camera. Several other correspondents could be seen next to her, and in the background stood a modern medical complex.
"Good afternoon, Anatoly. As far as we all know, there will be a short speech before the opening from Dr. Ledov himself, and then everyone interested will be taken in small groups to a separate, fenced-off wing, where we'll be shown and told what's there and what they'll be doing there."
- And what's the situation there?
"Honestly, it feels like we're all on a military base here, not a civilian facility. We had to go through several levels of security to get in. I even saw someone trying to bring a weapon in, but they grabbed him and led him away.
- It looks like all these precautions are not for nothing.
- I think so too, so I’m very interested in what today will bring.
They talked for a few more minutes until the doors opened and people started coming out. Many journalists had already started filming, as the hero of the occasion himself was walking with Tony Stark , and they were chatting cheerfully about something, but no one could hear them. Pepper followed behind them, also carefully exchanging words. Potts and Daria Sycheva, the general managers of the two companies and also having common topics of discussion, were present. Security guards were visible everywhere, inspecting the surroundings and following their targets.
Approaching the podium, Ledov stood behind it while Tony and the principals stood slightly behind him. Looking around the square and seeing hundreds of people standing and watching him, and even more watching him on their televisions, he didn't say a word, but simply looked up at the sky for a moment before lowering his head, a move that many found baffling.
- Hello everyone and please wait another minute, we are expecting another guest without whom we cannot begin.
Literally half a minute later, the answer came in the form of a bright, multi-colored beam that struck a specially fenced-off area.
"Oh my god, it's Thor!" It was a shock for Tatiana and many others there to see the alien god arrive and greet everyone as if they were old friends. Many people around the world had mostly seen him waving his hammer in battle, but to see him standing there in his armor, his bright red cloak, his small crown, and his hammer in his hands. People had never seen him like this before.
Not only did the Norse god descend to earth, but several Asgardians also descended with him , carrying chests that remained locked and were quickly carried inside, something the reporters couldn't help but notice. The young king himself called it "a gift from Asgard ." After such events, all those who had decided not to attend the event bitterly regretted it. After all, such news would not be reported from their sources.
When the solemn greeting ended, Alex finally began his speech.
"Today we've gathered here to ceremoniously open the first complex to help people with particularly severe illnesses. It houses cutting-edge equipment, and the best specialists from around the world will help those who can't do it themselves." While the conversation was going on, there was complete silence, only a slight breeze could be heard. The inspiration for this center was a video of parents raising money for expensive medications for their child. My capabilities—a little water swirled around Alex, giving everyone present a small reminder—are not the only way I can help these children. I don't want to see anything like this in the world again, so such cases will be considered separately, and all expenses will be covered by my company.
a Russian spy with red hair appeared a little to the side of the podium, to whom no one paid any attention yet.
This place isn't just a building; it's hope, it's a light for those who struggle with every minute of their lives. Thanks to the resources I have and the help of friends with various problems, this has all become possible for those who can't cope on their own—for those who need our support and care.
"Let's work together to make this world a better, kinder, and brighter place for those who need our help. Let this center become a symbol of our love, our strength, and our faith in a better future."
Many people already wanted to start applauding, but the speech was not yet completely finished.
“I also want to thank these warriors,” he turned his body slightly and pointed at Thor and Stark, “thanks to whom all of this became possible and will facilitate the process of the enormous work that lies ahead of us.”
This loud statement broke through the dam of questions that journalists began asking in a huge wave, and the speaker himself wanted to continue, but was not allowed to.
BAM.
Dozens of cameras captured the moment one of the Avengers team members, who had just given a speech, lay motionless behind the podium. Meanwhile, civilians began to panic and scatter, with the exception of a few camera operators, who began scanning their cameras for the possible shooter.
As soon as the shot rang out, Tony grabbed Pepper and threw her to the ground, and one of his suits of armor began to move from the roof of the complex. Natasha grabbed Anna and hid her behind the podium, and the next moment she rushed toward Alex's body to pull him out of the shooter's line of sight, while Thor swung his hammer and flew toward the sniper's probable location.
"Tatiana, are you all right?" The TV presenter was in shock at what was happening. He had witnessed the murder of one of the most famous people in the country and the world.
- Yes, I'm fine, it looks like this is an attempt on Dr. Ledov's life... my God... how could this be? As soon as the operator turned the camera, its perfect appearance disappeared and traces of grass were visible on the clothes.
As panic and alarm spread throughout the area, the operator pointed to a strange phenomenon happening in the stands. To everyone's shock, Alexey Ledov, who should now be lying and bleeding, was now standing, leaning on the black widow who was supporting him and who couldn't believe the bullet hole in his head was healing with a bright blue light, returning him to his normal appearance.
"Oh my God... this is impossible!" everyone in the studio agreed with this statement.

Chapter Text

"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.

Chapter Text

A small animated program somewhere on the Internet.
- Enter from the left.
- Damn, they're everywhere.
- We can't merge and lose.
- Agggghhhh
- Damn the ranger, they killed him.
- Let's go with plan B.
Chitauri army in New York. While that battle had long since passed in reality, the chance for regular players to relive it was enticing.
black, tight-fitting suit with a cloak thrown over it and a sniper rifle that was larger than herself, watched all this action with interest.
It's been a week since the game, console, and accompanying immersion equipment from Stark Industries came out , and a little less than a week since all the news was filled with the attempted assassination of Alexander Ledov during his speech.
Certainly Yumiko knew he was fine, but she hadn't been able to contact him for over a week, which raised a lot of questions. Honestly, Ledov and Stark have become almost the center of much news right now, considering they've been nowhere to be seen since the assassination attempt, save for a few photos of the Avengers spending time with their children, which suggested everything was fine.
But they can be dealt with later after they appear in her line of sight, but a squad of players who are progressing quite well, even with losses, will not take long to appear.
The game itself created a sensation across the entire gaming market. "Buy a console and play" was the main slogan. Good advertising, good quality, and a reasonable price meant that all stocks were sold out within the first half of the day, and then everyone started complaining about not being able to buy them. Naturally, this rush created a black market for consoles, which were sold at, at best, several times the price.
She aimed her huge rifle at one of the players in military uniform, who was sitting behind cover and shooting back at the alien infantry, and fired from one of the skyscraper's windows. The player who was supposed to hold the flank left the game session and could only watch the rest of the team.
- The devil shot the young man.
- Fuck, it looks like we have her.
- Now I will definitely deal with her.
- No, we must retreat.
- It looks like she's against us this time.
The idea of having influence in such a game really appealed to the teenager who found herself in the digital world, so going into a session and deciding who exactly she would play for was a lot of fun.
Alex explained to her exactly why he wanted to create the game, and Yumiko herself asked to make it so that she could also participate, and the introduction of an unaccounted element into some battles that could both help and hinder only helped achieve the goals of this game. It is not surprising that in the end, her programming skills made her one of the leading developers whom no one saw, and for everyone, she worked remotely, which in this industry was normal and did not raise questions.
From the moment players began hosting their first battles, many complained about the difficulty, but as some groups began to achieve success, such complaints began to fade. Communities began to emerge where groups gathered as if for a boss raid. Various tasks and various Avengers who appeared kept the game from getting boring and added variety. So far, there have been two such maps, New York and London, but we haven't yet been able to complete either. Besides the fact that the group had to complete the objectives , the process was further complicated by the fact that the tasks were timed. Therefore, teams that ran behind time saw either a bright explosion or complete darkness at the end of the session, depending on the map.
Of course, after firing a few more shots and eliminating several key group members, the entire team began to lose ground and ultimately lost. This wasn't surprising, as the squad was simply struggling to get through the alien army, and then a new enemy appeared. But over time, even Yumiko herself would find it more difficult to carry out such executions. Just the day before, the first player to obtain a perk that enhanced their gameplay had been reported on the forums. Over time, such perks will appear more frequently and in greater variety. All these perks will be considered superpowers by the system, which will only further attract players eager for rewards and add more work for Ultron's analytics system .
- Well, just one more ride and we can rest. Otherwise, I need to fly in this Stark suit again.
Of course, it wasn't limited to just one tub.
*****
The scorching sun warmed the endless sand. No matter which way you looked, all you could see was sand. The only thing that stood out was a small stone shack , miraculously not yet buried beneath the sand. The entrance was no longer visible; only the roof and a few walls remained exposed to the desert. A hole had now formed in that roof, and in it were visible the three motionless bodies that had created it.
- Agghhhh – a heavy groan escaped from the throat of the long-haired blond – water, give me water.
The unusual sensations beneath him made him check what he was lying on.
Having fallen onto the stones and broken through the ceiling, Thor took the brunt of the blow. Waking up, he stood up abruptly and fell over dizzy.
The second attempt went better, but this time he was in no hurry to get up , instead surveying his surroundings from a sitting position. His two comrades were now sound asleep, and there was nothing around but sand and the sun shining into the hole that had formed.
The thirst began to torment me more, and there were no nearby sources of water in sight.
Unable to see his hammer, he tried to summon it, but there was no response, which clearly worried him. Several more attempts didn't change the result; his favorite weapon was still missing.
Leaving this question aside for the time being, it was decided to inspect where it was, hoping that this would provide an answer to why there was no response from Mjolnir .
Having climbed out of the hole, he looked around and saw nothing but sand, but something bothered him.
- It looks like I'm not in Midgard - looking at the sky he saw three stars that warmed this planet with their warmth - where are we now?
Hoping that his brothers in arms would have the answers, he went back inside and started waking Alex and Tony up, which was quite difficult considering they didn't want to wake up, but a few good nudges did the trick.
- Oyyy my head/what are you doing – both were unhappy with such a sudden awakening.
"My friends, we have problems." This attracted the attention of both of them, although their appearance was not much better than his.
*****
- So what we have is that we started drinking and found ourselves on another planet without communication, abilities and without reinforcements.
The Thunder God screamed into the sky for his gatekeeper, but the Rainbow Bridge never showed up to take them.
Does anyone remember what actually happened?
Finding himself in the desert and unable to find any water sources, Alex lost most of his combat arsenal. Just like Tony, he couldn't do anything without his suit.
-I remember how we started drinking what my father sent, and then moved to another place.
- We found ourselves in some kind of house.
Now Stark was watching the recording on his glasses, which he almost never parted with, without access to the network and Jarvis, these glasses could serve well as a camera.
Everyone started watching a fast-forward recording where the glasses had been lying in one place for several days and recording.
- How long did we drink there? Several days?
- Oh , we went to harden ourselves.
- And I remember this, we ran out of what I brought and you went for... - here Thor thought for a moment, remembering - for grandfather's tincture.
- Exactly! You said it would go away like water and there wouldn't be any consequences.
The glasses' owner continued watching the recording. Meanwhile, the water lord began to recall what had happened and began to feel embarrassed by what he had done.
"Wait, is that a bear?" The camera showed a close-up of the bear's skin, as if they were hugging it, and then, just like with their brown friend, everyone started chatting and pouring him drinks. "What were we even doing there?"
- I remembered. We went for fish.
- What the hell fish?
- Well, for fish to Alfheim - two intent glances were directed at the blond - at that moment we decided that we needed to feed him some good fish and so I suggested it.
The last thing the camera recorded was the bright light of the rainbow bridge.
It took everyone a moment to realize this.
- That is, we got so drunk that we found ourselves not just in another country, but on another planet!
- Don't worry Stark, I'm sure Heimdall is already looking for us , and when he finds us, he'll take us away. We somehow got here through the rainbow bridge.
"If Heimdall could, he would have taken us already. If he hasn't, then something is stopping him."
“Maybe this is another test from your father, like in New Mexico .” Tony put his glasses back on and checked that they still had charge.
- I don't think that's true, if it was a test, he would have left a message or let people know about it.
- All this is of course fun, but what are we going to do, comrades?
- Let's wait until night, maybe I'll recognize some familiar stars in the sky.
The prince's education, costing over a thousand litas, was comprehensive. Astrology was also studied. This could be especially relevant when traveling among the stars.
Fortunately, all three stars had moved away, allowing the night to take hold. The unfamiliar moonless sky made everything gloomy and dark, but at least it lowered the temperature. Unfortunately, it didn't produce the desired results.
Thor didn't recognize any of the constellations. Somewhere else, there were similar star positions, but that made it clear he definitely hadn't been in that part of the galaxy.
So the only option left was to move in some direction. The likelihood of not finding anyone was just as likely as meeting someone .
While Thor was looking at the stars, Tony's glasses detected some energy in one direction , so it was decided to go in that direction.
Walking without food and water was difficult. Luckily, there were a couple of hours when all the suns disappeared from view, and before the first sun rose, they were able to collect some of the condensation from the suns before it evaporated. This quenched their thirst somewhat, but it also gave them time to avoid dying of thirst.
Unfortunately, a new day arrived quickly, and with it came the heat.
"I'm not even going to sit at the table with you again, you damn alcoholics. " Covered by a small piece of red cloak that had been divided between them, they moved in a direction known only to them: one god of thunder can't summon a little rain. The other controls water and can't properly collect it.
- Hahaha , but when we get out of here there will be something to remember and tell our grandchildren.
- Yes, you're right - even the Asgardian was affected by the intense heat, not to mention the others - all that's left is to figure out how to get out of here.
Their journey lasted several days. They waited out the intense heat in the shade, if there was any, and tried to move around when it wasn't so hot. Of course, water was scarce, but there was one way to get a little, which they agreed never to mention again.
Small bugs or other creatures that crawled out of the sand on an empty stomach also went down well, especially after Thor tried them with pleasure first.
One day, the now practically wandering dead, crossing one of the dunes, noticed something else besides sand.
"Look, there's a chariot there— a simple chariot pulled by horses. And around it, digging in the ground, were humanoids."
Several days of such travel had forced them to be grateful for any form of life, as they were likely to have a source of water. So the group sped up to reach them, but as they approached, a problem arose.
As they approached, they noticed something was wrong with the humanoids. They weren't wearing their usual clothing. Their entire bodies were wrapped in bandages, but in some places these bandages had already torn or slipped, revealing patches of withered flesh. This didn't hinder their movement or work .
- Wait, these are draugrs .
- To be more precise , these are mummies.
- Thank you, Captain Icicle, we have other problems now.
As the travelers noticed them, several mummies also noticed them and dropped what they were doing to check. Grabbing their cleavers, they set off to greet the guests.
There was no greeting or any gestures, the inhabitants of the sands simply rushed into battle.
Thor took on the first mummy, intercepted the blow, drew his cleaver, and severed the attacker's head. Mummies weren't particularly difficult opponents for the thunder god, but fatigue was taking its toll, and even several of them could catch him and strike him if he wasn't paying attention.
While several mummies decided to settle on the largest member of their group, Alex, using his version of Extremis , dodged one blow and ran his heated hands through the body of one of the mummies, splitting it into two parts.
In just a couple of minutes the fight was over with a score of avengers/mummies 1:0.
- Damn, there is no water, no food, where are they all coming from?
- Perhaps their city is located on some fertile land.
- Either there is nothing there at all, but maybe there is an answer there as to why Heimdall can’t find us?
- But we have transport, OOO. yeah , the chariot was big and could easily accommodate ten people standing there, so it was pleasant for the only person who hadn't been improved in any way to lie down on the hard surface.
Time was against them, so having made a decision, they took this chariot and the horse-like zombies carried them back while the traces of the transport's former owners' movements were not yet covered up.

Chapter Text

A few hours of riding with a light breeze provided a pleasant coolness, but the greatest joy came later, when the water lord urgently stopped the chariot and sat in one place for almost an hour, holding his hands in the sand, explaining that he felt a little water somewhere deep. The others waited and let him go. The wait paid off when a small trickle of water began to seep through the sand. Watching the desired liquid break through the sand and being so close to it only increased his thirst, but he had to wait until the drawing was complete, lest he wait even longer.
Is five liters of water a lot or a little? For a modern person, this amount can be drunk discreetly throughout the day while standing and chatting at the water cooler. But for someone who hasn't had a drink in several days, it's literally a gift from God that should be treasured and cherished.
Now, sitting in the shade of the chariot, taking small sips from the bowl of cold water that hung in front of them and snacking on small bugs, they felt good for the first time in several days.
- When we return we will have to arrange a feast, because such an adventure requires that it be told about.
- Thor, I don’t want to choke you , but it was because of uncontrolled drunkenness that we ended up here, so I’ll stick to the juices for now.
- What does " suffocate" mean ? Your Russian words again?
- Ah, my American friend. There's so much you still don't know about the strong and powerful Russian language!
- Ah ha ah
Thor's loud laughter echoed throughout the area and attracted the attention of the others, who began to look at him closely.
"That's what I needed. A simple adventure with friends, where you can just travel, fight, and laugh." His voice dropped slightly. "Because after Malekith was defeated , my father made me regent of Asgard ."
- Are you already fed up with everything after just a couple of months?
And then Thor shared his concerns that ruling wasn't quite what he'd imagined. Although he was a prince, diplomacy was his weak point. After what had happened, his parents felt they'd made several mistakes in grooming their heir and were now trying hard to correct this shortcoming. So, he'd been socializing a lot lately, and hadn't had much of an excuse to swing his hammer. When the opportunity arose to rest a bit, he was glad to go to Midgard and take a break from everything that had accumulated over that time. Of course, there was a purpose there, too, but it could be called combining business with pleasure.
The two earthlings, after the heir's outpourings had finished, merely glanced at each other and began to laugh.
- What? - Thor’s voice was clearly uncomprehending.
- Thor, you need to find those who will help you with the government.
- Sitting on the throne is certainly interesting, but constantly listening and solving problems is not my thing , for that I have Pepper .
For a being with over 1,500 years of life experience, hearing about governance from those who are not even a century old was humiliating, but what is more frightening was educational.
- So you put women in charge of solving issues that you don’t want them to?
"I was dying at that moment, and then somehow everything just happened," Tony said, recalling with a tender smile the moments when they were lying in bed, deciding company matters.
"I'm not good at paperwork, so I put her in charge of those issues. Besides, I think Tony would agree with me, but our talents are better applied in other areas than boring meetings and reviewing piles of reports."
To which Stark himself merely nodded, which made the warrior without a hammer think.
Having quenched their thirst and rested a little, the journey became a little easier, and then, crossing one of the dunes, they saw something different from the sand.
Several pyramids appeared before their eyes. Around them, a flurry of movement of various mummies could be seen. Slaves carried stones from one side to the other, overseers whipped, and there was constant movement. If you looked closely, you could see that this place had once been an oasis, on which all this had been built, but now there was no sign of any vegetation.
- It seems to me that these pyramids could somehow be connected with those that stand here in Egypt?
"You're right, son of Stark. At different times, Midgard was divided into different regions, ruled by different pantheons. It could be their ancestors or followers who ended up here."
- Where are all these gods now?
- Many moved to the city of omnipotence for various reasons, but on Midgard , as far as I know, none of the pantheons have conducted any open activity recently .
- Let's hope we don't meet a whole pantheon of zombies here who will try to turn us into their own kind.
- Tony, these aren't American movies. You might as well suggest dressing like them and walking past them. - At that moment, two pairs of eyes looked closely at Alex. - No, no. No , you're not serious, are you?
*****
“Next time I’ll keep quiet,” the Slav, wrapped in ancient bandages, quietly relented.
Throughout the city, there were enough small groups of the undead that could be hunted down, disarmed, and dressed to resemble them at least minimally. Of course, the fact that these mummies had been working for hundreds of years at best and hadn't changed their clothes made a difference. The mummification technique seemed to be hereditary, and thanks to magic, when the avengers removed the bandages from those they had managed to bind, human features could be discerned in some places, but any admiration was dampened by the smell that permeated the unchangeable garments for centuries.
Three mummies, not attracting any attention to themselves, carefully moved towards the only pyramid, the top of which was covered in gold and had a slight glow, which showed that there was something there that could help them attract the attention of Heimdall , who could take them away from here.
Of course, the plan wasn't perfect, but there weren't many ways to sneak in quietly with their limited arsenal.
There was noise everywhere, zombie slaves were hauling things, building, their drivers generously motivating them to work harder, so it seemed no one was paying attention to the trio. Walking through some blocks, one could see traces of previous human presence, not yet completely covered by the sand.
The further they went, the fewer local residents there were around.
Approaching the pyramid, they carefully examined the two statues of Anubis, which stood like guards, at that moment the native earthlings looked at each other as if they were thinking the same thing.
of Asgard looked questioningly and was given a short explanation of the similarity of these statues to those that can be found in some places on earth.
After walking a little further, the travelers reached their destination, but another problem arose: none of them knew where exactly to go except through the main entrance, which was located right behind the stone stairs that they had to go through first.
Having no other options, they began to climb it to get inside and everything seemed to be going well until they reached the very top, where they were already waiting for them.
Dry, dead skin, covered in places with bandages and a multitude of gold jewels, and his entire face was covered by a golden mask. This pharaoh , seated on his throne, looked down upon the intruders, surrounded by dozens of his loyal undead soldiers, ready to attack at any possible threat to their master.
The Avengers weren't exactly thrilled with this welcoming company. If they'd had all the tools they needed for a confrontation, it would have been a simple battle, but now Thor was without his hammer, Tony without his suit, and Alex's only weaponry was the liter of water he'd managed to conserve after the source dried up. To avoid a confrontation, they considered running back, but as soon as they looked back, a huge crowd had gathered in front of the pyramid below, a crowd that hadn't been there just a few minutes earlier.
- This It's a trap .
- Looks like it, Stark.
The inhabitants of the earth simply looked at each other and smiled at the ignorance of the classics from the Scandinavian god.
Before anything could happen, Thor, being a natural diplomat and a raging king, decided to talk to the other ruler.
"Oh, great lord of this land, I am Thor, crown prince of Asgard . My companions and I found ourselves here by chance and are simply trying to get home; we didn't want to disturb you. Therefore, I ask you to assist us in this difficult matter. Of course, after this is over, I will generously thank you for your assistance and the inconvenience."
During the entire time Thor was delivering his speech, no movement was noticeable behind the golden mask that hid the face of the living dead, but one could hope for a positive result, because Thor had been to many worlds and possessed various skills.
Unfortunately, this time all his skills were useless. With a slight bow of his head, the local pharaoh gave his guards an order. The entire guard, standing in a semicircle, drew their curved swords ( khopesh ) and began to advance menacingly, step by step, narrowing the area and reducing their maneuverability. If nothing was done, the only remaining path would be down, where hundreds, if not thousands, of mummies, armed with whatever they could find, stood and waited patiently.
- Does anyone have any ideas?
While his other companions had at least some advantages, for an ordinary person this was a downright unpleasant situation.
- Yes, there is a plan.
And then, the thunder god, in all his recklessness, rushed at the nearest guards and felled them. Quickly avoiding the closest attack, he tried to snatch the weapon, tearing it away along with its owner's hand. In just a few seconds, he was standing with the weapon, fending off hordes of armed zombies. Thanks to Asgardian blood and the physical weakness of his opponents, parity had been established. Anyone who attacked lost several limbs, but the superior numbers prevented the blond from attacking.
- I'll hold them off, find a way to contact my home.
Of course, it was noble, and no one tried to dissuade him from this idea. While the guards were distracted, Alex used the remaining water and spun it into a saw, literally cutting a passage for two to try to get inside.
At the moment when Thor switched to aggressive negotiations, several things happened: firstly, the pharaoh himself began to urgently leave the scene of the battle with several guards through the nearest secret passage, and secondly, all those who were standing near the ascent to the pyramid began to quickly climb the steps to stop the said guests.
There was no time to waste, so after going inside the pyramid through a large passage and their pupils got used to the room after the light, they saw something they definitely didn’t expect.
A huge space inside the pyramid was occupied by a complex technological structure of slightly glowing pipes, which from all ends of the pyramid led to a console, which was located a little higher on a pedestal on the other side of the pyramid . On the walls were depicted statues of deities whose gaze was directed directly at the console.
There was no direct route to the console, so they had to choose one of two directions that would lead them straight there.
Before they could decide between the two paths, guards began running out, clearly in no hurry to gently restrain them or politely question them. Fortunately, the water saw was helpful. The withered bodies cut through easily, leaving behind only a pile of severed arms and legs.
Even a billionaire and philanthropist never took anything from the hands of other people, but he did not hesitate to snatch a sword from a dead, severed hand for his own protection.
Turning off the equipment that was located here could not guarantee that their goal would be accomplished, but there were no other options at the moment.
***
Several bodies were now falling down the large staircase, dragging even more down with them, forming a massive mass of bodies. Realizing that if nothing was done, in a couple of minutes there would be hundreds of enemies instead of just a few dozen, Thor made the only decision and began throwing the injured enemies, who took it all in their stride. Had it been anyone else, such a tactic wouldn't have worked, but the fragile bodies, which broke when they hit the stone, couldn't withstand the fast-moving body.
It was only a matter of momentary distraction before another stinking carcass pounced from behind and hung there , attempting to stab him in the neck with a dagger. Unfortunately for the defenders, the attack had no effect and left only a scratch on the tall blond man's body.
Without hesitation, he grabbed the body hanging on him and began spinning it around, throwing back those who came close. In a sense, it even worked, until at one point the body simply flew off to the side, leaving only one leg in the Asgardian's hands.
This maneuver gave him some space to follow his friends, for whom he was buying time.
Keeping his enemies at bay, the warrior used all the experience he had gained over hundreds of years, although now he began to understand how much he relied on the hammer's power in battle. This had become noticeable to him even in the battle with Malekith , when Mjolnir , jumping between portals, did not have time to fly into the hand of its owner, and now, although the enemies were weak, even he would not be able to stop them if they fell upon him in a crowd.
Carefully retreating and simultaneously cutting down the dead, he took step after step into the pyramid, hoping that he could buy enough time before he was buried under bodies.
And while he was distracted by one of the attacks, a body literally flew at him from above and tried to bite his neck with the remains of its teeth.
Before he could strike the insolent man on the head, one of the guards managed to wrap his whip around his hand, which caused him to lose additional moments, which were enough for everyone to pounce on him in a crowd.
***
- Will you be there again soon?
A swing of the water saw and several more mummies were divided into several parts.
- Am I an expert on ancient Egyptian technology to you? I don't understand anything about it.
Getting to the control panel wasn't particularly difficult. The most puzzling aspect was the dead-ends built into the pyramid's corridors, forcing us to backtrack a couple of times. There were virtually no guards along the way, but as soon as anyone appeared near the control panel, everyone who could began throwing themselves at the intruders, simply to drive them away from their sacred relic.
Now the engineering genius stood over an unfamiliar device, trying to figure out what to do with it. The multitude of animal-shaped symbols on the panel, reminiscent of early typewriters, made it impossible to figure out what to press to get the desired result. After pressing one of the symbols, Tony waited for some response from the control panel within the first few seconds. Staring ahead , the engineer didn't notice how the eyes of one of the bird-headed statues behind him lit up and fired an energy beam at a target standing with its back to it.
A powerful stream of energy hit Alex's back and sent him flying into the wall. By the time the stream stopped, most of his body was already glowing blue, but even Extremis couldn't heal the damage so quickly , even exposing his ribs.
- Damn it.
Realizing that this blow had come because of him, Tony began to worry greatly about his friend, but seeing how the body was gradually healing, relief came, and in addition to relief, two more guards ran up to them.
Quickly returning to the console, he picked up the sword he had thrown away when they arrived and held it out, clearly trying to threaten them, but even the dead zombie mummies showed no fear and began to advance.
Before they had even taken a couple of steps, a loud explosion came from the direction of the pyramid, distracting all three from the fight that had not yet begun.
Taking advantage of the moment, a swift blow was struck, separating the head from the body of one of the locals, but the second one reacted to the loss of his brother in arms and began striking back. On the third strike, the sword flew out of the earthling's hands and a kick sent him flying toward the panel.
Confident of victory, the opponent did not notice how the bird key was pressed again and the smile on Stark's face made him sense a catch, but it was too late, jumping away from the likely target, Stark watched as the energy beam crashed into the already dead sand zombie and pierced through him and hit the control panel.
The subtle hum of the machines below grew quieter and quieter. As the equipment stopped, the light emanating from the very top of the pyramid ceased to spread.
While the skirmish was going on, Alex was able to heal his wounds and, coughing up blood, looked displeasedly at his comrade.
- Don't look at me like that, I told you I don't know what I'm doing.
It was clear that now was not the time for showdowns and grievances , but Tony took note that he would have to somehow apologize for this incident, because everything could have gone much worse.
- We need to find Thor if the car...
Alex was interrupted by another crash coming from the entrance. They exchanged glances and rushed to the scene of the fight to render aid, but the sight of a dead body being driven into the wall shocked them.
Thor stood near the wall, surrounded by charred bodies that gave off a rather unpleasant smell. But for the first time since they'd met, he exuded divine power.
Lightning coursed through his entire body, and with each strike, electrical discharges coursed through him, amplifying the blows , which were quite capable of breaking through walls. Numerous wounds dripped blood, literally cauterized by the lightning, and the remnants of the red liquid didn't prevent his electrified hair from rising slightly as he exerted his power.
- Thor?
Both voices rang out simultaneously. Hearing his name, the thunder god looked back and smiled contentedly, yet bloodthirstily.
- Yes, it's me, my friends.
" You mean all of them?" Tony surveyed the obvious carnage that had taken place here.
- Yes, they knocked me down and tried to stab me, and they would have succeeded if I hadn’t shown my strength.
Alex had already approached to treat his wounds, but the thunder god stopped him.
- I want to return home like this.
- No problem, I'll just check to make sure there are no particularly dangerous injuries that will cause you to die within a day.
He didn't refuse such a thing, but returning from the battle victorious and covered in blood was an honor in Asgard , and he wanted to show everyone who doubted him that even without the hammer he posed a serious threat.
Having finished their inspection, the trio went out into the open space and looked down as many of those who had recently attacked them were now running in fear.
The god, heated up by the battle, even had to be stopped so that he would not rush into battle; first they had to return home, and there was a possibility that their entire journey would have been in vain.
- HEIMDAL.
A second, two, three, and then a beam of light engulfed them all.

Chapter Text

At a small airfield, in the middle of nowhere, far from any crowds, a large black Boeing stood, attracting the attention of the locals. Upon landing, it paused, awaiting its sole passenger.
The ramp was open, and a balding man of about forty stood next to it, awaiting the unexpected guest who had contacted him and was supposed to provide a new mission. After standing there for about ten minutes, the man heard the loud rumble of a motorcycle. Seeing the driver, the agent's body jerked. Sure, this guest was friendly, but he wasn't sure he was on good terms with her right now. When the motorcycle pulled up, Agent Coulson saw a woman in a tight-fitting black suit. Removing her helmet, she revealed a thick head of red hair. She smoothed her hair, grabbed a small duffel bag lying behind her, and headed for the ramp.
"Natasha." "Agent Coulson ," the smile that almost always played on Phil's face faded. The woman in front of him was one of the few he could call a friend, and seeing no joy at the meeting on the spy's face, he realized he wouldn't be forgiven for withholding information so easily.
"You have to understand, Director Fury kept the fact that I'm alive a closely guarded secret," he immediately tried to explain to one of the organization's top agents.
"I know what classified information is, I have a treasure trove of it myself... ugh!" Phil heard a few strong words directed at one of the Russians. "I'm just offended that you think I couldn't keep that secret." "I understand..." "Natasha!" a cheerful voice sounded from the depths of the plane. An Asian woman in a S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform emerged and warmly greeted her guest.
"Melinda, it's good to see you!" Phil was surprised to see two of the most dangerous women in the world simply hugging each other when they greeted, like old friends who hadn't seen each other in a long time. "Come on, I'll introduce you to everyone," the team leader said before the ramp had even closed when someone addressed him. " Coulson , be hospitable, and don't forget to bring the motorcycle inside."
Knowing this wasn't the time for argument, he went to retrieve the motorcycle, which was still on the runway.
*****
"Eagle one, calling headquarters. We are approaching the target.
" "HQ is calling Eagle. The target will soon be in the kill zone. Order: destroy target on contact." "Order understood, we are executing." John Silver had been at the American military base since early morning, unaware that in a few hours he and other pilots would be sent on a mission to destroy aliens who, according to intelligence, had arrived to assess the earthlings' defenses.
Literally a couple of minutes later, the squadron dispatched on the mission spotted its target. The spacecraft, four times larger than a typical fighter, was rapidly gaining altitude, attempting to leave the planet's atmosphere. The pilots had a short window to destroy the target, otherwise it would become unreachable. The order was shoot to kill, so as soon as someone managed to lock on to the target, missiles were launched. The ship, rapidly gaining altitude, began to slow and maneuver to avoid impact. Only some of the missiles were successfully evaded. Several shells hit their targets, triggering the energy shields and sending the ship flying. "Don't stop! We need to finish off the target before it gets away!" Continuing to give commands, John recalled that the report he'd been given had already noted that air defenses against such single targets were weak due to their maneuverability. One or two fighters were useless, and it was lucky if they returned intact rather than shot down. All this forced command to send in entire flights. While some aircraft pursued, others began to bank, attempting to pincer the target.
The next salvo was ineffective due to the smaller number of missiles fired while the others maneuvered, and because the target began firing back with several cannons firing blue projectiles, targeting both the missiles and the fighters themselves.
An attempt to regain altitude for a target hostile to the Earthlings proved unsuccessful thanks to the pilot, who struck from above. Unfortunately, this cost the pilot his life, as he was hit by one of the plasma charges, inflicting the first casualties and leaving the team feeling unimpressed. The chase lasted several minutes, but to the pilots, it felt like an hour had passed. At one point, the pilot of the alien ship maneuvered, turned his craft 180 degrees, and began flying toward the fighters. "This is our chance! Open fire!" Another salvo of missiles launched, but only three out of ten hit their target. Fortunately, the energy shield couldn't withstand the strain and burst, allowing a finishing blow. All that remained was to turn the craft around, which was so unwieldy compared to the enemy. Unfortunately, the opportunity to deactivate the shield cost the lives of two more pilots. The remaining pilots dispersed, trying to intercept their target, which seemed to be mocking them, simply hovering in the air, awaiting a new attack. “They’re just mocking us! Everyone, listen to me…” The pilots, seizing the moment, launched a new attack from all sides, firing missiles with a slight delay. The pilot of the alien ship had to look for an opportunity to evade such an attack, and although he was able to dodge the first volleys, the last ones still got him, hitting different sections of the ship, which led to an explosion in a large blue flame, visible even from the ground. “Yeeessss ! Well done everyone!” John congratulated his soldiers. “Headquarters, this is Eagle one, the target has been destroyed.
” “Well done, return to base, mission accomplished.” “Yes, we are returning to base.” Fortunately or unfortunately, the pilots, overjoyed after defeating the aliens, were kept ignorant of the real reason why the ship was leaving the planet.
*****
A single lamp hanging from the ceiling illuminated the dark room. In a basement, such light would have been insufficient for work, but in this case, it was sufficient.
A man in a long-unwashed T-shirt and pants stood against the wall and looked at the latest victim caught in his net. A young, beautiful girl lay bound hand and foot. A gag was in her mouth, and her eyes scanned the room in panic. But she couldn’t see anything except what the light bulb illuminated. “You think you can do anything?” The rough male voice that sounded in the room only increased her panic, and she began to frantically try to break free, but the knots were tightly tied, not allowing the long-awaited freedom. “You think that because you’re beautiful, I should jump for you?” “ Mmmmm …” the girl tried to say something when the man finally stepped into the light, but the gag prevented her from doing so.
The tears in her eyes only caused him to grin maliciously. His face was disfigured by a large burn. "You know, I can even understand you. Who would want to date a freak like me?" The girl looked at the man carefully, and judging by his words, she must have known him, but she couldn't recognize him because she was seeing him for the first time. She would remember such severe burns on a person. "But you could have explained it politely, instead of creating a scene where you publicly insulted me." The maniac didn't even look at his victim; it seemed as if he was accessing his own memories. It's a shame that someone else will bear responsibility for his pain. As he spoke, a rusty piece of iron appeared in one hand, and with the other he conjured a fireball and brought it to the end of the iron.
“But it’s okay, soon we’ll be alike, and then you won’t have a choice,” the girl’s eyes couldn’t open wider in horror when she realized why he was doing all this. She literally started to get hysterical, and she began to twitch even more, but the knots held her tight. Suddenly a hand fell on her chest, and she felt heat near her face. “Don’t worry, when it’s over, I’ll take care of you,” the girl’s body froze, and her eyes carefully followed the red-hot object. “We will always be together.” For a moment, when he moved the iron away from her face, she relaxed. “MMMMMM!” but instead, he rested it on her shoulder. The girl began to twitch violently from the terrible pain, but he held her tightly until he decided that it was enough for now, and a smile appeared on his face. “ Mmmmm …
” “Don’t worry.” "When I'm done, you'll be mine," he gently ran his hand over the spot where the piece of burnt flesh had been. "You just have to live to see it, and then we'll be together forever, Oksana." After that, he began methodically applying the iron to the girl's beautiful face. "MMMMMMMMMMMM!" Suddenly, the door to the room was kicked down. "EVERYONE, DOWN, FACES ON THE FLOOR!" People in high-quality equipment with the wave symbol decisively burst into the room, where the victim's groans could be heard. "YOU CAN'T INTERFERE WITH ME!" Suddenly, the room was flooded with bright light, because the man literally became a living flamethrower and began pouring fire from both hands on the operatives who came to stop him. "I'M DOING THIS FOR LOVE, YOU BASTARDS!" A sharp stream of fire caught the first operative, but then their target was simply riddled with darts, and literally a second later, she passed out. "Tie him up! Medic, take care of the wounded!" After giving the commands, the team leader approached the girl, whose face was no longer as beautiful as it had been just a moment ago. "Don't worry, we'll help you." The girl, overcome with emotional shock, couldn't say anything and only continued to cry as she was untied and led out of the dungeon.
****
Watching through the glass, a striking blonde in a business suit watched as doctors attempted to save the life of a security officer who appeared to have escaped from a burning building. Most of his body was burned, and his clothes stuck to his wounds, preventing them from quickly rendering aid.
The door to the operating room swung open, and Maya Hensen ran in carrying a small briefcase. Quickly opening it, she removed a small injector containing a blue liquid. Approaching the burned man, she injected him with the entire contents of the syringe.
The patient's body began to glow faintly blue. The doctors hesitated for a moment, but at Dr. Hensen's command, they began literally cutting away chunks of skin, clothing included. Most astonishingly, the wounds began to heal before their eyes.
A few minutes later, the two of them were watching the doctors continue their work. “I didn’t expect to see you here, Miss Sycheva.” “I decided to personally see the results of your work, Miss Hansen ,” the big boss’s smile turned sly. “Considering my plans for them, I want to be absolutely sure there won’t be any problems.”
The scientist’s face turned a little sad after hearing this, but a light push on the shoulder caught her attention. “I know you had imagined using your developments differently, but, unfortunately, releasing Extremis into the public domain will cause more problems than it will help. Therefore, we will maintain a monopoly on the serum and sell it only to those we decide, and at the price we ask.”
“Do we have to make a weapon out of it?” Even though the scientist understood the stupidity of her question, a glimmer of hope still glimmered in her heart. “If necessary, anything can be used as a weapon. It all depends on the intentions.”
The operation behind the glass continued. The man, who had recently been dying from multiple burns, was now in stable condition.
"I feel sorry for him, of course. Even Extremis can't completely help with that. He'll be disfigured for the rest of his life.
" "That means you still have work to do. Besides, I wouldn't be so sure about that," the blonde saw what she wanted and began checking her phone. "Yes, he'll have to walk around for a while, but then our hero will come and help him." "Can Alex also work as a plastic surgeon?" "Maybe not, but to increase his authority and reputation among his subordinates, he'll have to learn. Thank you for your work, Maya, but I have to go." Without waiting for an answer, the appointed head of the company, with a heavy sigh, headed off to another meeting.
*****
A man entered the gymnasium through the opened doors; his aging frame made it difficult to move quickly.
"General, everything is ready for the tests," Dreykov said, nodding to the scientist, who followed the test subject. Before the test began, he retreated to a special room behind armored glass. Nearby, the general's confidants stood, discussing issues that could be resolved now that they were gathered. A familiar figure entered the prepared area of the gymnasium, attracting everyone's attention. Yelena Belova, in her Black Widow guise, did everything she was told. With a nearly blank stare, she approached a special block marked 250 kg, grabbed its handles, and managed to lift it, albeit with some effort. Everyone watching was amazed by her abilities, and the scientists took notes. Then, a dozen fighters with batons entered the room and stood around the short woman, clearly with ill intentions. After the test, many were very pleased with what they had seen. Even with normal dexterity, Yelena could have handled them with her skills, but now, these fighters simply scattered across the room with a single blow from her. Several would never rise again, but the onlookers didn't care. While the crowd discussed what they had seen, they didn't notice how the test subject briefly regained control, turned her gaze to the people behind the glass, and resolutely walked toward them. The first blow to the glass caught everyone's attention: what should have withstood high-caliber fire cracked under the blow of a woman's hand. The second blow alarmed everyone even more and caused those with weapons to draw them. While the people prepared to repel the Widow's attack, Dreykov himself stepped aside to avoid being hit by shards. The third blow gave way. For a few seconds, everyone watched the Widow, ready to attack, and then everyone opened fire. Dozens of shots should have left no living spot on her body, but when everyone ran out of ammunition, she continued to stand there as if nothing had happened. One might have thought that all the marksmen had missed, but the holes in her combat uniform confirmed a direct hit.
Entering the room, Elena was about to attack the first person she came across, but suddenly stopped abruptly. General Dreykov calmly approached her, and the spy's eyes dimmed again. "You have shown yourself well, agent," Dreykov carefully examined her for damage. "Go to the lab, let them check you, and then on schedule." "Yes, General," and with a graceful gait she went to carry out the order. Seeing the state of his subordinates, Dreykov was pleased. The panic in their eyes had not yet subsided, and he reaffirmed his position. "Now you understand what can happen if you don't do what I say. For now, this is the only specimen, but soon there will be more. Then we will be able to deal with all our enemies within the country and return it to its former greatness." Several bottles of champagne were opened to a roar of applause.
*****
P.S. Many people have complained about the numerous errors in the text, so this chapter has been sent to neural network for correction. Of course, she occasionally changed words, which could change the meaning, so I'm not particularly eager to use them, but I hope it will make reading much more enjoyable.
PssI also want to note that I have mixed feelings about Agents of Shield. I haven't yet decided what role they will play in this story, so if someone doesn't like them, I can understand their dissatisfaction.

Chapter Text

Being on a special combat aircraft for a significant amount of time and still working was new to Natasha. In the briefing room , she sat with her feet on the table, scrolling through information on her laptop, searching for her target. She was joined in the room by several other people who were assisting her in her search for the unknown assassin, who could appear and disappear anywhere at any time.
Phil Coulson The leader of the group she had temporarily joined, along with her deputy Melinda May, were now sitting and looking through documents scattered across the table that had been faxed to them from the office.
At the other end of the room, another shield agent, who is more of a power part of the Grand Ward team, sits and steals glances at the red-haired spy.
And the last person in the room was a young woman who called herself Skye . Her gaze kept wandering from the computer she was working on to Ward , who was sitting and studying information on a tablet.
The team had two more members, Fitz and Simmons, two agents who were responsible for the scientific area of their work and who were now working in their own small laboratories.
For several days now, everyone had been spending most of their time following the trail of a mysterious killer who had left traces practically all over the world. Knowing what to look for allowed one to guess which unsolved murders he had committed. So, a large file of documents was set aside for more detailed review and study.
"So why are we doing this anyway?" Ward stood up from the couch and began looking around the room. "We don't have an official mission to capture this target. Even you weren't given such an assignment."
His last question was directed at Natasha, as was the intense look he gave her.
"Ward," Phil decided to answer his subordinate, "We're doing this because this man poses a serious threat to the security of any organization. Besides, we don't always carry out missions that are reflected in reports for greater secrecy."
“But even if we find him,” Sky decided to support the man she liked, “how will we be able to catch him?”
"We'll think about it when we find him. Finding this killer is our top priority right now," Melinda replied harshly to the local hacker.
"Everyone has weaknesses. You just have to figure them out." Natasha turned her gaze on the young woman, causing her to lower her head to the monitor and continue working.
Her actions amused the former Russian spy, because at their first meeting, Skye’s gaze was full of adoration, as if meeting her idol.
"Ward, we're all on the same side here," Phil began to reassure his subordinate. "Natasha is here to help, and I trust her completely."
"Do you have any more questions, Agent Ward?" Natasha had crossed paths with him a couple of times while they were working together, and he wasn't the only one trying to get close to her, for obvious reasons. Considering she has higher clearance and is close to Fury, that makes her the superior in most situations, which doesn't sit well with the local hottie.
- No... ma'am.
Skye , instead of doing her job, was watching the squabble and therefore did not immediately notice what her computer displayed.
- Oh oh Oh, I found something!
*****
The scorching heat disappeared as soon as the three avengers crossed the gate.
- Heimdall , how good that you heard me.
Thor joyfully went to greet the gatekeeper and even hugged him out of joy.
“I was looking for you, my king, but I couldn’t find you, something prevented me from doing so,” Heimdal reported joyfully, but embarrassedly .
While Thor was happily chatting, the two Earthlings began checking their wounds. Tony sat down tiredly on the floor, his adrenaline fading and his body demanding that its owner take decisive action to restore his health.
- Thor – the voice of the lord of water attracted the attention of the god of thunder – Tony needs help.
- Yes, now follow... - here he thought for a moment - call for water and check that he is okay, and I will return now with the doctors.
After taking a few steps, the future king grinned broadly, extended his hand forward, and smiled as his hammer flew out of the palace. The feeling of the hammer's power in his hand calmed the blond man somewhat, and he spun the hammer around and went for help.
As soon as Thor left the platform, a sufficient amount of water rushed in. It was located under the rainbow bridge and literally enveloped Stark's entire body, leaving only room for his face to speak and breathe.
While Alex was doing the check, he noticed his patient reaching with his tongue to the liquid that was enveloping his body.
- What? I could use a drink right now, anything. – he answered the unspoken question.
Luckily, the gate guard didn't just stand there, but came up to him, took a flask from his belt, and began slowly pouring it into Tony's mouth.
"It looks like you've found yourself an interesting adventure," Heimdall's voice literally echoed off the walls of his shelter.
“Thank you, Heimdal ,” the doctor gratefully began to take a few sips from his flask.
"Well, I don't know, that definitely wouldn't make my top ten." The enveloping water brought relief, which gradually brought Stark back to his senses.
****
“And so, while my friends were looking for a way to leave this place, I fought with hundreds of these dead people who literally surrounded me,” Thor told his story, taking another sip from the cup and then abruptly smashing it on the table, and at the moment of collision, a small explosion of forked lightning occurred.
It was the first time Alex had attended such a feast. Long tables were scattered with food and alcohol. The warriors of Asgard listened attentively to the tales of their future king. It reminded Alex of the small parties of his student years, when there weren't many problems and you could simply have fun without worrying about the future.
Looking over to the edge of the table, one could see the Allfather's face flash with a small smile as Thor involuntarily used his newfound abilities.
Although a few hours earlier he hadn't been so welcoming and had all but ordered the earthlings to return home. And then Thor showed his mettle when he stood up to his father and said his friends wouldn't be sent home like useless trash, especially if any of them needed help. Odin was impressed not only by his son's words but also by the lightning that struck around Thor, even though he wasn't wielding a hammer, which changed his mind.
The first place they visited, of course, was the local hospital. Once the prince himself was checked, he went to meet and talk with his father, while Alex kept an eye on Tony as he recovered from exhaustion and his remaining wounds, and simultaneously tried to learn what the doctors in Asgard had to offer .
Returning from his memories, the Midgardian noticed that the Asgardians sitting next to him had grown a little quiet. Looking up , he saw Queen Frigga .
- I hope you don’t mind if I disturb you from your fun?
- Of course not, I am at your complete disposal.
Having risen, he followed her through the corridors.
"I hope the books you were given aren't just lying around collecting dust?" Clearly knowing the answer, the queen glanced furtively at the embarrassed earthling.
- Unfortunately, the lack of time does not allow us to study even a small part of what they contain.
And Alex truly felt sorry for him. Books from an ancient civilization, rich in knowledge and even some magical practices, tormented the man's mind, but the constant work of developing the company and being a superhero took up all his time.
After walking a little further, the two of them entered the medical room, but there was not a single doctor there, only one Asgardian warrior .
The first thing he noticed was the missing left arm and leg of the humanoid lying on the operating table. A warrior who had lost all sense of existence after surviving the battle, his excess weight and unkempt appearance did not give him the appearance of a proud warrior, nor would he be able to die with dignity and go to Valhalla.
- I know that you are a good healer, but I hope you do not underestimate your abilities.
- Your Majesty, I would not abuse our good relations for the sake of fleeting gain.
“Then please,” she pointed to the warrior who was now lying on the patient bed.
Approaching the warrior, he saw a piercing gaze in his direction.
"Do your job, healer , " the man's rough voice was laced with hoarseness, as if he hadn't had a drink in some time. "They told me you could get me back on track."
- Don't twitch and then everything will be fine.
Without wasting any time, Alex began performing what even the best alien healers couldn't do, but which an ordinary Earthling could do: regrow limbs. A strong medical education, work with Extremis , and a little tinkering with Asgardian lore all enabled him to perform this operation.
The water from the barrel that was placed nearby stretched out and settled near the lost leg.
- Argh - the wounded warrior did not expect such a sharp pain and began to twitch violently, fortunately for the warrior, his queen came up and put her hand on his head, which put the patient to sleep.
- I thought you could do all this painlessly?
- Of course I can, but then he wouldn’t value my abilities very much, and the process would take longer.
Indeed, as soon as the queen paid attention, she saw that the severed limb was reappearing before her eyes, and a minute later the patient could have calmly moved his restored leg if he had not been put to sleep.
Having tested the regrown limb with her spells, the queen smiled contentedly at the work done and asked to continue.
Within a few minutes the warrior was awakened from the spell.
- Hahaha - happily standing on two legs and waving his arms in different directions, he tested his abilities - Thank you, healer, thank you, my queen.
After bowing, they let him go and it was clear that he went off to celebrate and tell his friends about the momentous event, leaving the queen and the two healers alone.
- Well, as you can see, everything went well, and if I conduct several tests, then such things can be done with literally one injection.
- You can be sure that Asgard will not forget this and will pay you back what is owed and even more, but before we finish today, I have a request for you to see one more patient.
"And who is it?" A slightly intent gaze was directed at the queen, as this was not part of the plan.
"I will be one," Odin's voice boomed throughout the room as he appeared. "I hope you don't mind?"
"You don't even have to ask me about that. I'll do everything I can, you can be sure of that . " Alex had to suppress a smile at the opportunities opening up. After all, with success, he could receive things he could never have obtained on his own, and that's not counting the gratitude of the ruler himself. "Please, settle in."
*****
"I hope he's still alive."
"It's all interesting what he says, of course, but who's going to pay for it all? I don't want to give up a chunk of my salary to help who knows who."
"The one who shot must be rewarded, otherwise this monster is going against people to whom God gave all this to test them, and they must go through it in their own time."
"It's a shame this happened. My younger brother has very poor health, and it would have been great if he could have gotten into the program."
After scrolling through the comments under one of the videos where he was shot, Alex turned his gaze to his general, who was sitting and trying to glare at him.
"Well, that's normal, what did you expect from social media?" His finger scrolled through a couple more comments. "What do you expect from me?"
- You... you're a jerk. I've suffered so much because of you. Do you even know how many people I had to convince that you were healthy and okay. And instead of letting everyone know you were healthy, you went on a drinking spree and flew around the planets, leaving me to clean up this mess.
- Yes, I must admit it turned out ugly, but I couldn’t help but stay a day in Asgard ; the prince himself and the queen asked me to stay and share my adventures.
- And you continued drinking there.
- Not only that, we also had business conversations.
- I wonder what kind of conversations you had there.
"You'll find out soon, don't worry." The sly smile on his face seemed like another headache for Dasha in the future.
The Avengers' return attracted attention, as the large rainbow beam in the middle of the clearing still worried many, considering who might have arrived. But upon seeing the two Avengers, many calmed down and began offering maximum assistance. Tony made one call, waited for the jet to arrive, and immediately headed home, wondering how he could justify himself to his girlfriend.
Having finished reminiscing about his return, Alex threw the phone away and stood behind the chair in which the blonde was sitting and began to lightly massage her shoulders.
- Why are you so worried? Is this all because of those fat cats? You didn't have to convince anyone! You just had to say I'm fine and forget about it. They don't care, they just want a reason to withdraw their money.
- But ahhh – he pressed on one point in her tense body.
"You need to oversee the company's operations. I told you it wasn't your job to figure out where to find the money. Besides, it's actually a good thing; now we know who needs more attention."
The blonde enjoyed the work of her boss's hands.
- There's another plus to this. Now just imagine how everyone who's left us now will be begging to come back.
- Yeees .
- They will be on their knees and beg you to let them come back.
- They will regret that they looked down on me.
" That's the mood." He stopped massaging her shoulders and returned to his seat. "We still need to decide..."
Plip plip
A signal from the tablet interrupted their conversation.
- This security guards , they reported one incident that is currently happening.
Handing the tablet over to Alex, he saw a recording of the live broadcast from the phone.
- And here is a reason to return in style.
*****
for the Queen of Asgard to descend into the dungeons, where some of the most dangerous creatures in the entire galaxy are kept. For hundreds of years, she had no reason to appear here, but recently she began to descend here quite frequently.
Following a familiar route, Frigga approached her adopted son's cell, but unlike her other visits, this time no one was visible in the cell.
- Loki, I know you're here.
A few seconds later, the god of deception appeared with a green glow and a satisfied smile on his face.
- You should have seen how worried the security was when they couldn't find me.
Looking at his mother's serious face, the smile slid off his face a little.
- Well, I'm sorry, there's nothing much to do here.
He pointed to the space around him and the yellow screens that kept him there.
"Son, you have to tell me everything," she placed her hand on the energy screen to be closer to her son, if only for a second. "Your father can't keep you here any longer."
"He's not my father." All the cheerfulness the prisoner had was gone after his mother's words. "I'm just an adopted child."
You don't understand everything. You usurped the throne, destroyed a vital facility in Asgard , sparking numerous rebellions across the nine worlds, and then contacted unknown entities and attempted to seize power in one of the worlds under your control while we were weak.
At some points a smile appeared on Loki's face.
- You might as well say that these worms from that planet demand something from us.
" Luckily, they don't want you," Loki said, looking puzzled. "A lot has changed while you were here."
After briefly examining her son's features as if trying to memorize them, she continued.
"Only one reason would be enough for Odin to execute those guilty of your crimes. You have many more, and the only reason it hasn't happened yet is because he loves you."
Loki placed his hand on his mother's and closed his eyes. For a moment, Frigga thought he was about to tell her everything that had happened to him after his fall from the Rainbow Bridge.
- No, he turned around so as not to show his mother’s face.
"Forgive me," tears appeared on the queen's face. "Then I won't be able to help you anymore."

Chapter Text

Since the Battle of New York, those who had previously hidden their abilities have slowly begun to reveal themselves to the world. Some have begun to use their abilities for the benefit of society. Some have decided to enrich themselves and began selling their new abilities, but others have also decided to use them for personal enrichment at the expense of taxpayers.
Just now, several people who recently robbed a bank (a common occurrence in the comic book world) attempted to escape, but law enforcement officers managed to corner them in a building. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a school, and now several of them had hundreds of hostages.
The building was cordoned off, but the surrounding crowd and journalists didn't care. A piece of news that could be used to make money, gain hype , or simply chat with neighbors was far more important than staying away and not interfering with people's work.
The reappearance of the hero, whom everyone had assumed dead for weeks due to his absence, attracted far more attention. Instead of focusing on the operation, the police were forced to calm the civilians, who reacted violently to the hero's return and tried to get closer to him as he made his way to the head of the operation.
Officially, of course, Alex had no right to be here right now due to lack of security clearance. Fortunately, upon seeing him, none of the officers even thought of turning him away. Most were overjoyed to see him, but there were also a few people—both in the crowd and in law enforcement—who looked at him and tried to hide their disdain.
"Major Petrov," the officer introduced himself. "You can't even imagine how glad I am to see you. I hope you're here to assist us?"
"You're right, officer. Tell me, what's going on here?"
It didn't take long to explain the situation. One of the robbers, using his abilities, had managed to break into the bank vault. When his friends entered, he was able to open it for them, saving them time, but something went wrong on the way out, and an alarm went off, preventing them from escaping. Then came the chase that led them all here.
It turned out that instead of hundreds of students, there were only a few dozen at the school, and the media were simply hyping up unverified information. But if they can't be saved, it will still look very bad for literally everyone.
No one was able to provide information on the bandits' abilities, if any, as a parallel investigation was currently underway at the bank.
Without wasting any time, one of the police officers announced to the criminals over a loudspeaker that a negotiator was on his way, although many doubted that this was a good idea.
Approaching the main entrance of the school, the hero didn't force his way in, but simply knocked. Inside, they should have heard and been prepared.
Literally a couple of seconds later, Alex spotted one of the criminals. He was dressed in civilian clothes, but the mask and pistol clearly indicated he wasn't a student.
- Good afternoon, I am here to negotiate and finish this matter peacefully, I hope you want the same.
Seeing the negotiator's face, the masked man's eyes widened in recognition, and he froze briefly, as if his brain had rebooted.
Alex gave him a few seconds to think about it, and then continued:
"We both know that if I want to, I'll go in, and you won't be able to stop me. But then the children might get hurt, and I don't want that. So I can guarantee that I won't be the first to take any action against you. Unless, of course, no one has been hurt before or will be hurt in the future."
- And I should believe you?
"Why not?" Alex replied in the friendliest way he could.
The armed man reacted by rushing from the door somewhere inside the building.
After standing and waiting for about five minutes near the entrance, the novice negotiator wanted to return to discuss a new plan, when another man approached the door.
— We need ten million dollars and a helicopter to take us out.
He had already turned around and was about to leave, but the answer stopped him.
- Okay. How should I transfer the money to you?
The robber was a little shocked by his words.
— You... you will pay us?
"Yes, of course. It doesn't cost me anything anyway, but if the children are free, it will benefit me much more."
- Then we need a hundred million.
- Okay, one hundred, so one hundred.
Ledov was a well-known figure and many knew he was rich, so a little greed was normal.
— Several children will fly away with us as a guarantee.
- Okay, will you let me in so we can discuss the details?
After carefully examining the entrance, more for his own peace of mind than from any real danger, the robber opened the door and let him in.
- Let me look at the hostages, and then we can discuss the details.
Waving his pistol towards the corridor, Alex walked ahead, while a pistol was pointed at his back, which did not bother him at all.
Entering one of the classrooms, he saw several dozen people gathered in a corner under the supervision of two more masked people.
The reactions to his arrival varied. The children became a little more cheerful and inspired , and several female teachers were also with them, who also felt better about the super's presence. But the criminals became more nervous.
Having calmed the hostages down a bit and promised that by evening they would be home and would remember it all as a bad dream, he went into another office to discuss the details.
“We need banknotes…” the criminal began, but was interrupted.
— Wait. Before you say anything, I want to promise you that I will do everything you ask. I will give you money, transportation, anything you ask for.
The masked man's eyes were full of suspicion.
"But even if you leave the country, it will take me a couple of weeks at most to find you and your friends. We'll play a little cat and mouse, but you won't be able to escape me for long."
— Is this a threat?
"You didn't hear me out. When I find you, you'll fall into my hands, and then the following will happen."
Slowly, so as not to scare the criminal, Alex collected some water. He made two small figurines: one of a man, the other of a small saw. The saw severed the man's leg. The criminal's eyes widened in understanding and were horrified to see that, after sawing off several more pieces of the figurine, the hero reassembled them and performed the process again.
- Believe me, I can do this for you.
- This is against all legal norms.
— Says the criminal who took children hostage.
The gun in his hand was aimed at the negotiator's head. The criminal's hands trembled with fear and the possibility of his fate. Now these guys, looking for easy money, had only two options: either leave peacefully and fall into the hands of the law, or try to escape, but then there was a high chance of falling into the hands of a madman considered a hero by the whole world. All that remained was to choose between the bad and the terrible.
It took the gang leader a moment to accept his future, and the pistol slowly began to fall. As a sign of his defeat, he handed it over to the envoy.
"Good choice. Now let's go do this with your friends, and then you can end up in prison, where I won't touch you while you're there."
The morally devastated criminal, wanting to escape the worst-case scenario, chose prison. So, entering the classroom where the hostages were held, he took the weapons from the others, amidst their confused looks and complaints, and handed them over to the negotiator.
The children and teachers watched with bewilderment, but hope, as the people who had recently threatened them turned out to be less dangerous, and after Alex's command, they quickly left the room to get away from this place.
Looking at several already unarmed, but looking at him in fear, criminals, Alex had one more question to solve.
"Don't worry, your friend will explain to you the reason for his behavior. But before you fall into the hands of the police, you will answer me a few questions."
*****
- Damn, damn, damn.
A girl with bright purple hair hastily tried to pack her travel bag, throwing in any items she might need. Besides clothes, she also threw in the money she had and a small supply of food. The small, inexpensive apartment she rented had few belongings, but she needed to take the time to pack. After all, she had no plans to return. Someone was clearly planning to spend some time away from large crowds, preferably in the woods, where they wouldn't be found.
- You had to be so stupid.
The conviction of her former friends was legitimate. These people simply had to show up in masks, scare everyone, and quickly take the money. After all, breaking into a bank and opening the safe from the inside would have been much more difficult. And now they'd been caught, and not only had they been caught, but they'd surrendered to the Water Lord, who had reappeared after several weeks of absence following the assassination attempt. And all of this was being broadcast on every channel.
Having already packed her bag, she decided to change her clothes and just before leaving, she heard some movement in front of her old door.
Literally a second later, the old door was simply knocked down by several armed men who began to clear the apartment.
The first thing they saw was a bag sitting in the middle of the room. Ten men in uniforms clearly not belonging to the police, bearing the wave symbol, literally rushed into the small one-room apartment. Several were armed with thermal imaging cameras and began searching the empty space.
Under the bed, in the closet, behind the curtains – not a single corner of the room was missed.
The room turned out to be clean. But there were still other rooms left.
Entering the bathroom, the operative began to slowly move the thermal imager around the room and noticed something strange.
There was no one in the bathroom, but the scanner showed a human silhouette trying to shrink and take up less space.
Without waiting any longer, he fired a few shots, and the sleeping darts stopped in mid-air.
Just seconds later, the girl, dressed in simple clothes designed to blend in with the crowd, was drugged and revealed to the world in a sleeping state.
— I found the object.
Literally a minute later, the one who organized all of this entered the small room.
Alex was a little surprised when he saw a woman sleeping in the bathroom.
— Was she wearing clothes?
— Yes sir. As you ordered, we didn't touch the object until you arrived.
"Very interesting," the scientist said, looking closely at the sleeping man, his gaze filled with anticipation of a quick scientific discovery. "Load her, and then cover your tracks."
- It will be done.
Just a few minutes later, the Russian hero watched as the body was loaded into a van and taken to a little-known location.
Only while all this was happening, no one noticed the camera and the person who was filming everything that was happening on the street.
*****
There was no one in sight in the well-appointed house on the seashore, so when the owner of this small mansion entered inside, he did so with peace of mind.
The overall decor was opulent yet modern. Few items were present, as if the owner hadn't particularly cared for the decor or simply spent little time there, or perhaps both.
A tanned man with Hispanic features walked calmly into the kitchen and pulled out a bottle of water. Just as he was about to take a sip, he noticed the intruder.
The beauty with the thick red hair, known throughout most of the world, would clearly have been a welcome guest in this house under other circumstances. But now, seeing such a beauty sitting confidently in a chair with an enigmatic smile, the owner of the house began to feel a little uneasy.
- Jose Garcia Lopez?
"Yes, how can I help such a beauty?" With a charming smile, he decided to sit in the chair next to her, but the spy's eyes saw how worried he was becoming.
She took out a photograph from the moment of the attempt on Alex's life and gave it to Jose.
"What a sad story with a happy ending. As far as I know, he's fine." He examined the photo and handed it back. "But what does this have to do with me?"
— There is a suspicion that you are behind this assassination attempt.
"Ha-ha-ha, how can such a beauty say such terrible things?" The spy noticed how his eyes darted around and his hands trembled. "I was at home during this terrible event, I have many witnesses who can confirm it."
“That would be a very good alibi, but we have learned that this killer can travel enormous distances in seconds, which immediately disproves any alibi you might have.”
- Everything you describe is, of course, interesting, but I still haven’t heard what I have to do with it?
“And considering that you earned all this,” she pointed with her hands at the new house, “with the help of your new abilities.”
The Spaniard tried to look calm, but inside the red-haired spy was jubilant, and she was better at hiding it.
— Dozens of murders around the world with a sniper rifle, carried out by a military sniper, do not speak in your favor.
The tension in the room increased.
"The most interesting thing is that the transfers to your accounts were made immediately after the task was completed. So if it wasn't you, it will be easy for you to prove your innocence."
At that moment, time seemed to slow down. Jose rolled to the side, dodging the shot from the pistol Natasha pulled from under her jacket.
The first shot missed, but the next one didn't. Aiming the gun, she watched as her target simply vanished with a small pop, and was nowhere to be found.
Having lost her target, she began to look around, not knowing from which direction he might appear.
“Believe me, I have no desire to kill you, but if you don’t surrender, I can’t guarantee that you’ll be alive in the end.”
"And why should I believe you? You just tried to kill me!" The voice came from the other room. "And even if I did believe you, how could you stop me?"
Her weapon was pointed towards the speaker.
- Believe me, if I wanted to kill you, you wouldn’t even know about it.
To continue the dialogue, the spy decided to reveal her cards a little.
“Your employers aren’t the stupidest people; they deliberately left a trace of you so that they could get rid of you if necessary.”
To which the former military man did not respond.
— Do you think that, knowing about your abilities, I wasn’t prepared for the meeting?
— I don’t see any traps here.
“Because there aren’t any.” She took out a small photograph and placed it on the small table. “I came from the other side. Come here and you’ll see.”
There were a few minutes of silence, and then Jose himself came out of the room, holding his pistol, aimed at the spy, who stood unarmed, and her pistol lay a short distance away.
Carefully approaching the table, he picked up a photograph of the spy herself, who was now standing in front of him, hugging a small, smiling girl of about seven years old, who had slight features of Jose himself visible.
- You creature...
In anger, the mutant attacked the spy, grabbed her, and together they disappeared from the house.
*****
The quiet and measured marine life was disturbed by two people appearing at a depth of several meters.
A few seconds of struggle and only one person remained in the sea, who, realizing that she was alone, began to quickly surface.
Natasha surfaced, looked around, and spotted a small patch of land a few kilometers away. With a heavy sigh, she began swimming toward land.
After a long time of sailing, she finally reached a small island, which was located in the middle of the sea.
With another heavy sigh, she simply collapsed on the sand from exhaustion - after all, even for a trained person, this is a long distance.
She wasn't given time to lie down and rest. Jose, who suddenly appeared and landed on her chest, held a knife to her throat.
— What did you do with Marie?
S.H.I.E.L.D. agent replied calmly and coldly, ignoring the knife near her neck. "And she admires her favorite uncle so much."
— Answer the question!
"Nothing happened to her. But what could happen?"
— Where is she? Answer me, or I'll slit your throat.
"You can kill me, but it won't change anything." Jose's almost crazed gaze demanded answers, but it only brought a smile to her face. "No matter what happens to me today, tomorrow the whole world will know who you are and what you did."
- What do you mean?
"Think about what will happen when your little niece finds out who her favorite uncle is? Or remember your parents, whom you literally ransomed from a drug cartel and left to live peacefully in a small house."
- They have nothing to do with it!
- Just like tens of thousands of children who could have died because of you.
- What do you mean?
While the dialogue was going on, the knife gradually moved away from her neck, but Natasha made no attempt to free herself.
— You know what kind of speech Dr. Ledov gave when you tried to kill him?
- Something about charity.
"It's not just about charity," Natasha described in as much detail as she could everything she'd seen in the hospital itself and learned from conversations. "Now imagine if all of this had been immediately taken apart by the powers that be if he'd been killed."
"Even if I'm sad, it's just work. My family has nothing to do with it."
"Now it's relevant. If something happens to me, all the information about you will be sent to both my friends and the friends of those you killed," the Spaniard's eyes widened with realization. "Yes, yes, you'll be hunted like never before, and even your abilities won't help you hide forever when a missile simply flies into your house in the middle of the night."
Seeing that there was little left, she decided to attach one more fact.
- And also imagine the face of a little girl who finds out that her favorite uncle, who gives her a lot of gifts, killed the man she admires.
The rage from all the words spoken overwhelmed the Spaniard, and he pressed the knife to his neck even harder, but Natasha's calm gaze calmed the teleporting killer.
A minute later, the two of them were sitting on the sand, and the weapons were put away.
- What do you want from me?
"It's not up to me to decide," Natasha felt as if if she said something Jose really didn't like, he'd run away and leave her on the island. "It's up to Alex."
- Alex?
“Doctor Ledov,” her answer caused a sly smile to appear on Jose’s face.
— I thought they were going to hand me over to S.H.I.E.L.D. for experiments.
- Even if that is the case, it will not be up to me to decide.
*****
S.H.I.E.L.D. agents , who were working alongside Black Widow, were investigating the house where the assassin lived. Cameras placed in advance showed everything that was happening inside, so they arrived immediately, but were unable to make any real difference.
"Where are we supposed to look for her now?" Melinda worried about her friend. "The tracking device isn't working."
Phil tried to calm her down:
- Don't jump to conclusions, Natasha is a professional and she is capable of dealing with problems.
Agent Ward stood a little to the side, studying the situation, but at the same time listening carefully to everything that was happening around him.
After waiting a little longer, a bang and the appearance of the missing people alarmed the agents, and they grabbed their weapons.
— I told you that everything would be fine.
Phil looked around at everyone with his signature smile.
S.H.I.E.L.D. agents were then given a brief report of what had happened. The killer himself called his family, checked that they were okay, and told them he would be missing for a while and not to worry.
Of course, Natasha's intense gaze was a reminder of what would happen if something went wrong.
Now, to fully complete the mission, the object needed to be escorted. When Jose suggested simply teleporting to the required location, he was gently beamed into the chamber by plane.
Already on his way back to Russia, Agent Ward entered his boss’s office with a question that interested him.
"Why not just take this Jose and bring him to S.H.I.E.L.D.?" Ward tried to explain his point of view to his superior. "We have everything we need to keep him from escaping. His abilities could be useful to us. Skye , Fitz , and Simmons agree with me."
Coulson took a deep breath.
"First, this man is Agent Romanov's prisoner . Second, if Director Fury was against what we're doing, he would have let me know."
"This mutant has phenomenal capabilities. We can't just hand it over to the Russians; they'll use it against us."
"We're not handing him over to the Russians, but to Dr. Ledov, who, I'm sure, can find a way to control him without threatening him. Because people with such abilities are exactly his specialty."
Ward grew increasingly angry, but he could do nothing.
"And I don't think he'll use it against us," Phil continued. "He and Agent Romanov are on good terms, so I'm sure he wouldn't just use it against her."
— Did she seduce him that much?
- You don't need to know this, just believe that there won't be any problems.
Clearly dissatisfied with the outcome of the conversation, Ward left his boss's office.

Chapter Text

Loki walked proudly into the throne room under the escort of Asgardian guards .
His hands were in special handcuffs that blocked his magical abilities.
No one met him, the guards simply handcuffed him and led him to the throne room.
As soon as he entered inside, the eyes of all those gathered turned to him.
Here, all the elite of Asgard had gathered , standing in a semicircle in front of the designated place for the prisoner in the center.
On a small hill stood the One himself, sitting majestically on a throne, and next to him, at each hand, stood Thor and Frigga .
The prisoner's attention was drawn to the state of the All-Father himself . He looked much better, as if he'd aged a hundred or two years, but most notable was his gaze, which had changed, as if he were looking at him with both eyes , though this was hidden behind the gold plate.
Turning his gaze to his mother, he noticed that she was having a hard time containing her emotions, and Thor's hair was trembling slightly from the growing tension.
the Allfather began the trial , "we are all gathered today for your trial. Do you know what you are accused of?"
- The thing is... - Loki wanted to make a joke, but seeing Frigga's face he decided not to do it - please enlighten me.
Loki Odinson, you are accused of treason, organizing an invasion by a sabotage squad of enemy forces, undermining Asgard's defenses , colluding with an unknown enemy, organizing an invasion of Asgardian- controlled territory ...
The hall listened silently as the list of his crimes was read from the list.
- What do you say? - Odin's voice sounded like thunder in the quiet hall.
“Not guilty,” there was no remorse in the defendant’s voice.
the all-father said sadly.
It was hard to call what was happening a trial, and everyone understood that. Everyone knew about the crimes committed, so this whole show was done more for the benefit of the citizens of Asgard , because even the Allfather couldn't let such crimes go unpunished, even if they were committed by his son. While he could, Odin postponed the trial of his adopted son, but as time passed, the people began to whisper about the king's weakness, and that never ended well for the ruling dynasty.
“Guilty,” the judge announced his verdict, “your punishment will be death.”
Under other circumstances, the trial could have lasted for weeks, but within just an hour the god of deception was on his knees, unable to believe what was happening.
The king himself volunteered to carry out the sentence. Taking the ritual sword, he walked up and stood behind his son.
"I'm sorry this happened!" Both the judge and the executioner looked sad, because even though Loki wasn't his blood son, that didn't mean he wanted this fate for him. "I hope you'll forgive me."
At the moment when the blade was raised, Loki decided to look at his family one last time.
Thor was ready to rush to save his brother, but he still didn't. Most likely, everything that was happening here had already been discussed, so he restrained himself.
But seeing the only woman he valued, who never allowed herself to show emotion at such gatherings, now barely holding back tears was painful. Not wanting her last memory to be her son executed like a common criminal, he made his decision.
- STOP.
At the last moment, Odin finally managed to stop the sword's movement. Everyone listened attentively to what the prisoner wanted.
- I have valuable information that will be useful, and I am ready to give it all in exchange for my life.
Odin's eyes looked intently at his charge.
- Speak. I'm ready to listen.
*****
"The return of one of the Avenger team to action after a failed assassination attempt clearly demonstrated that brute force isn't always necessary to solve problems," the news anchor read from his prepared text. "Just recently, a bank robbery escalated into a hostage situation, but fortunately, a waterman quickly appeared on the scene to negotiate and was able to resolve the conflict without resorting to force."
- Jarvis, is there anything more interesting? There's been too much talk about him lately.
- Do you want to hear what they say about you?
- No. Better turn on the music.
The engineer hadn't planned such a ceremonial exit. After returning to earth, there was a quick flight to the tower, where the angry director scolded him and sent him back to work, of course, after a passionate kiss and a health check.
At times like these, he regretted that Pepper was the one in charge. After all, the only one who could seriously pressure him and get him to do something was his girlfriend. Of course, it wasn't all bad; a small gift from Asgard in the form of a dress had almost turned his anger to mercy, but he still had to work on his projects.
There were enough projects and there wasn’t always enough time to work on everything.
The alien spaceships hadn't yet been fully studied after the Battle of London. Ultron required constant testing. Improving his armor took time, and then there were the individual projects to increase Stark Industries' profits , all of which took time, and his unexpected vacation had lasted much longer than he'd planned.
- Sir, you have a guest.
- You know not to disturb me - figuring out a small device from an alien ship was much more interesting for the inventor than the aforementioned guests.
- This is Director Fury and he is waiting for you in the living room, Miss Potts asked me to tell you that this is important.
After some thought and a heavy sigh, I had to put aside the sample I hadn't yet studied and head to a larger, more spacious room with a guest area on one of the upper floors where the guest was currently located.
"I see we've become more polite now," Tony said, ignoring the black man in the black cloak sitting on the couch as he headed to the bar to pour himself a drink. "It seems like everyone used to come to my place like it was their own place. What's changed?"
- Hello, Stark. Just to clarify, I'm not here of my own free will. I have plenty to do without needing to visit you.
No longer sitting on the couch, he stood up and walked over to the bar counter, for which he received a transparent glass with a dark liquid in front of him.
- And yet you're here! To what do I owe this visit?
- I'm here because many people are unhappy with your recent actions.
- Someone is always dissatisfied - he waved his hand carelessly - are the old men who sit and pretend to think about the future suddenly worried about something?
"Many people are unhappy with how close you've become to a certain Russian," Fury said, watching Stark closely. "While it didn't affect anything before , your friendship is now a nuisance to many."
- So what? I'm a sociable person and I can make new acquaintances, what's wrong with that?
- If you had only communicated with him, there would be no questions, but you provided him with the technology of your reactors.
“And I don’t regret it at all,” he said with a smile, clearly to annoy his interlocutor.
The hospital where the tour was conducted, like many other buildings built near the Ledov clinic, was connected to generators installed by Stark Industries employees to produce cheap energy.
– Now they definitely won’t turn off the lights there for non-payment.
- That's good of course, but why did you provide your technology to them and not to your own country?
Recalling the recent events surrounding his forced move, the tower owner became a little tense.
- This country that almost killed me?
For Fury , this was a sore point; the situation revealed numerous holes in his intelligence that hadn't provided him with the information he needed. After the kidnapping of the president, a huge pile of dirt began to emerge, and all this only added to the intelligence chief's headaches.
- And yet. You could have shared many of your developments, but you specifically sent your people, who built another huge arc reactor, which now powers all of Ledov's projects.
"I gave him my generators because he told me what he needed them for, so I saw no reason to refuse. But when word got out, the company's shares skyrocketed."
- You could do all this here in the States. If it's a question of money...
"It's not just about money. Yes, I could hand it over to the government and even build new generators, but no one here has ever suggested that. Because no one needs it; all my big energy projects are being stifled by the oilmen, who have bribed half the Senate and who don't benefit from a falling oil price, and by those who profit from the military-industrial complex, who have bribed the other half of the Senate and are doing all this simply to spite me."
The intelligence officer had no worthy argument for this.
"No one here has suggested I improve the social situation or the lives of citizens. But proposals to make more weapons for the Pentagon or other military-industrial complex simply don't fit in the inbox."
Tony took another sip after which Jarvis warned him about exceeding the alcohol limit, to which Tony only winced and pushed the glass away.
- I actually thought you were going to come to me about what I posted online.
Many players asked the developers why the battle in New York ended with a bomb exploding if the timer reached zero. The development team monitoring the project didn't answer because they weren't sure how to respond, but Iron Man did. He simply posted the full transcript of the conversations that transpired at that moment, from start to finish. So that if anything happened, it couldn't be claimed that the recording had been edited.
As soon as the recording appeared online, many were unhappy that the city was about to be destroyed and many protests were organized against the government, because ordinary people did not know who exactly was ready to kill millions of people, although there was still a chance of victory.
"Of course, this issue should have been discussed, but I'm actually glad about these actions. I was against sending her to the city from the very beginning. So let them sort it out themselves now," the black director chuckled contentedly. "It's a shame they'll blame some general, and pin all sorts of sins on him to make themselves look cleaner in comparison."
Noticing that Stark hadn't moved his glass closer to him, the director of the shield brazenly and smilingly took a big sip from his glass.
- Unfortunately, they decided to punish you somehow and show that even if they can’t get to you now, they can easily get to your friends.
It was Fury who reported the recent dismissal of Colonel Rhodes for the loss of military property. Of course, it was a shock to everyone that Stark had decided not to help his friend search for the armor, whose whereabouts were now unknown, while politicians were trying to reassure those who had seen it unauthorized. No one was going to report the loss of such a combat unit to the press, as it would have cast a dark shadow on American power.
"And that doesn't give them any points in my eyes, and there's no need to worry too much about that. For cases like this, my friends have a friend who owns a large company and who can find them good, high-paying jobs. And with full benefits and a wonderful boss like me. Is that bad?"
- Things will get bad when you have nothing to pay your friends with, when your company is taken apart , and then how are you going to help your friends?
-And here, please, in more detail - Stark changed the glass , which now contained orange juice.
"Your behavior is going too far. You're not helping find the suit belonging to the US. You're leaking classified information online. You're making friends with the Russians. You're providing them with technology you've never provided to anyone before. That's why many people think you're becoming too much of a problem and it's easier to take everything by force than to continue trying to get anything out of you."
- Pffff . - At one point, taking a sip from his glass, Tony simply choked on what he heard, but if the director of the shield thought this news shocked him, then he was wrong - ahahahaha
A loud laugh echoed through the room. A single menacing eye stared at the man who seemed amused.
- What's funny, Stark?
- I started laughing at all this!
"What's so funny to you? They want to take away your father's legacy because his son decided to do God knows what."
Tony walked over to the large panoramic window and looked out at the city below.
"Just recently, this place was a war zone. The army couldn't do anything. The only hope was a bunch of freaks who were just doing what they thought was right, but even so, they decided to attack us with a lizard, and if it weren't for luck, this place would be in ruins now."
He turned around and looked at the only eye that was looking at him with a serious gaze.
"As soon as the threat of alien invasion faded, everyone returned to their squabbling for power, ready to lie, blackmail, even kill, just to get a little more power, as if the several invasions on the planet had never happened. They all sit in their offices and think they rule the world, but as soon as something goes wrong, they can't do anything themselves, they're constantly looking for someone to clean up the mess for them. You all can't even catch the one suit that's currently flying around the world, but they suddenly decided they can take them all."
The director of the shield did not dare to distract Stark while he was giving his speech, because he did not even need to ask questions, they were already telling him everything.
"No!" Stark delivered his verdict. "They are my creation , and I will decide what to do with them. And tell everyone that I love my country. This is my home! But if they don't want me here, then I will sadly leave."
The serious man in the black cloak frowned at the last sentence, but then smiled. The threat that Iron Man would no longer be one of the symbols of America's greatness would silence many in Washington, while those willing to take risks would be silenced by that same majority. Even the thought of Iron Man working for the Russians or any other country would terrify them in their worst nightmares.
- As you say, Stark. Do you have anything else to say?
- Exactly - he snapped his fingers and went to look for a small flash drive; in his small mess he found it in a couple of minutes - thanks for reminding me, the water-player asked me to give it to you.
"Me? Ledov?" He looked at the seemingly ordinary flash drive with disbelief. "What's in there?"
- I have no idea. I was simply asked to hand her over to you if possible.
The intelligence veteran clearly sensed something was wrong, and looking at the billionaire's face, he could see he was blatantly lying. At the moment, it wasn't clear what was going on, but years of experience told him they were hiding something from him. Pocketing the flash drive, he headed for the exit, having found out everything he needed for his report. But just before he left, Stark called out to him.
- Don't call me, I'll be very busy soon.
"What the hell is going on?" Fury thought , touching the flash drive they gave him.
When the spy agency's director left the building and Jarvis checked for any bugs he might have left behind, Tony relaxed slightly.
- Jarvis, stop playing games with little girls.
-What are you talking about, sir? - and the voice is so pretentious.
- Tell the water spirit that someone came to see me.
****
Alex let out a heavy sigh and stretched. He looked at the time and his eyes widened. He'd started working on his project in the evening, and it was already morning.
Heaving another heavy sigh, realizing he wouldn't be able to sleep, he stood up and did a few quick stretches. A glass of half-drunk, now cold, coffee stood nearby.
Cases piled up like an avalanche. After his triumphant return and the rescue of the hostages, much time had to be devoted to the people waiting in line for his personal treatment. Several celebrities who decided to improve their health, models paid by businessmen to make women in their thirties look like they were in their early twenties—these were the only people who brought him money directly. And then there were the many who were treated through his charitable foundation, which began receiving funds as soon as the first patients left the clinic.
Sometimes, I had to divert my attention from engaging research to less interesting activities. Meetings with subordinates, which also required time, and reports that needed to be read.
Now one of his lab assistants asked him to come to a meeting with someone from the government because Alex himself got carried away and did not answer his calls.
Entering the meeting room, he was met by a slightly overweight man in a business suit with a bald head and glasses. He had a briefcase with him, which was now lying on the table.
- Dymov Vyacheslav Grigorievich - the official extended his hand for a handshake - the first assistant to the president on issues of people with extraordinary abilities.
- Good afternoon, you know me? - a hand was extended in response. - I didn’t know such a position existed.
- Yes, I was recently “promoted”; before that, I held the position of Minister of Public Relations.
"I congratulate you, of course, but what do I owe you? As far as I know, I'm fulfilling all the agreements."
They both sat down at the table on two adjacent chairs.
It all started with gratitude for a job well done, and how the reputation of a hero who helps people without running around in a mask and destroying the city gives additional points in the public eye and opens up many opportunities for the country. Then came the typical part about how good and beneficial it is to be a true patriot and how the government values someone who is willing to accommodate them on many issues.
But there's a fly in the ointment. Of course, there will always be those who won't be happy with Alex himself or his work, no matter what he does . These people are silent now because no one will openly criticize the person who organized such charitable assistance. So, they were asked to continue this, so they would remain quiet and have no reason to show up.
Concerns were also raised about getting too close to the Americans, to which a government official received several photographs of fighter jet crash sites after skirmishes with extraterrestrial pirates.
- Vyachislav Grigorievich, I would like to say that I would like to help with this issue, but over the past few years we have had a bunch of problems that no one previously suspected, and the governments so far can’t even solve these problems.
The official tensed up, because he had reports on these clashes with space pirates, which were happening more and more frequently and more brazenly every month.
"That's why I'm willing to cooperate with anyone who's willing to help resolve this issue, and Tony Stark wants to resolve it too. Besides that, I'm trying to improve relations with Asgard so that we have an ally who can help resolve the issue if an alien fleet, and not some gang of pirates, suddenly appears in orbit around the planet."
- And we are grateful that you are working in this direction, but why not ask Asgard to resolve the issue, I am sure they have all the capabilities.
- If you want, I can ask Thor to come to a meeting where you can discuss this issue. Should I do that?
The presidential aide couldn't even fathom the idea that if the negotiations were successful, the asking price might be prohibitive. It's one thing for Asagrd not to interfere in the affairs of Earthlings, but quite another for it to start imposing its own rules. Moreover, this is a global problem, not just one country's.
- Thank you, Alexander Dmitrievich, I will pass this question on to the higher management.
clear to Alex that the official part of the conversation was over. Now one of the highest-ranking officials had decided to raise another issue.
- It is obvious to me that you value your freedom, but I would like to offer you the opportunity to work with an organization that is trying to bring order to this world, sometimes using methods that are not the most approved.
After the announcement, Alex's eyes looked closely at his interlocutor and after the examination, a sly smile appeared on his face.
- Isn't this an organization that took the name of a mythical creature with many heads?
Now Alex himself received a close look.
- How much do you know about us?
- Ha ha Ha – Alex stood up and decided to pour himself and his companion some high-proof liquid – so you explain to me how it happened that in a country that has been cursing any mention of fascism for the last seventy years, an organization was able to appear that is its direct follower.
The filled glass was passed to the interlocutor.
- And not only do you exist, but you have also penetrated the highest echelons of power!
- You must understand that not all people like the ideology of equality, and some of our members were already here before the war began, and then simply played their roles.
They both took a sip.
"Nothing personal, but your organization has a very bad reputation. Besides, you still owe me for the fact that the whole world doesn't know about you yet. The last thing I need is for these 'human labs' to be somehow connected to me."
This was a hint at those complexes where mutants were kept in cages and experiments on them failed.
- I agree, it didn’t work out very well and those who did this have already been punished.
" I'm sure they were punished. After all, they shouldn't have even known about these facilities, much less lost everything they contained. Now, if you'd come to me and said, 'Let's do the same thing, only more formally and beautifully,' then I'd have thought about it, but this is it."
- This is our shortcoming, I am sure you did everything correctly.
His interlocutor had no doubt that Ledov himself did not have a laboratory where research was conducted.
-And therefore, if someone comes, I will calmly show and tell everything.
All this time, Alex was smiling contentedly at the attempts to re-recruit him , and realizing that this would not work, the Hydra member decided to get ready.
- Vyachislav Grigorievich - just before leaving, Alex decided to give the last word - the only reason why I haven’t yet started to get heavily involved in your organization is so that you could be a counterweight to General Dreykov and his people.
The head of one of the Hydra cells left clearly dissatisfied and will try to voice his displeasure in the future. Fortunately, no unknown missile test launches are expected that will hit his workplace. Otherwise, he'll have to explain himself, which would only draw unnecessary questions for the new presidential aide, especially before the upcoming elections. But there are plenty of other ways to cause trouble.
Standing and looking out the window, Alex wondered how exactly they could attack what he had created.
After thinking for a bit, he took out his phone and sent it via a secure channel.
- They came to me too.

Chapter Text

- Good afternoon, dear viewers, and here we are again, so that I, Maxim Pavlov, can tell you the most important and interesting things happening in the world. -
In a small studio where videos for a multi-million dollar internet channel were filmed , the presenter sat against a green screen while the camera filmed him, and nearby, several other people sat and watched, monitoring the results on their screens.
Today we'll be discussing a very important question. Who is this Alexander Ledov? A decent man who helps everyone, or a monster who pretends to be a good person?
The emphasis was placed on the second half of the sentence.
Many call him by different names, but it doesn't matter because we all know his name. I can't deny that many of his actions were for the greater good. Living a wealthy life, he could have stayed out of the New York invasion altogether. Everyone found out he wasn't even on the team and joined along the way. What drove him? Perhaps a thirst for glory? After all, he could have given the other members of the Avengers, who, unlike him, were willing to fight, a chance to help. Or better yet, let the military deal with what was happening around them.
The presenter's eccentricity was liked by many.
"So the question is: Why did he intervene? And luckily for you, I know the answer. He understood that if the Avengers lost, he wouldn't be able to continue his usual, luxurious lifestyle in the mansion he built."
Some photos taken away from Alex's home appeared in the background of the presenter .
"Not only does he live in his own mansion, but he also surrounds himself with security. Please explain why someone like that, who can protect himself, needs security? Is he afraid of anything? How can someone who survives a bullet be afraid of anything?"
In the background, a video began playing of the mansion's security guards forcibly driving away some people, and in the well-edited footage, the frame suddenly changed to the guards knocking out some people with tasers.
"Why all this aggression? People came simply to say thank you to the man they call their hero, and his security guards immediately started beating up these innocent people. Has "our" hero really become so arrogant that instead of meeting with the people, he simply sends his security guards to brutally chase everyone away."
The presenter said all this in a special tone to have a greater impact on people.
- I would also like to mention the people with whom he communicates.
Photos of various people Ledov had interacted with began to emerge. Businessmen and politicians whom Alex had previously helped. The presenter revealed some unflattering facts about each person that his editors had uncovered. Even the avengers weren't spared.
Tony is an arms dealer. Natasha is a traitorous spy. Bruce is a monster responsible for hundreds of lives and billions in damage. Steve is an American propagandist. Clint is an enemy intelligence agent. All of this was described in such a way as to paint them in an unfavorable light.
"None of these people inspire confidence. So I have a question: Can we trust someone with such friends?"
The footage that was shown was specially selected from the scene of military action, and most of it even included wounded civilians.
"What about those computer sessions? Instead of being a good citizen and using his abilities for the benefit of society, he's sitting there playing some games, when he could be spending that time doing something more useful for society. Or, in a pinch, he could come and conduct an interview, maybe even with us."
The presenter spread his arms, showing the studio.
- I would gladly accept an interview with him, and he would answer all the questions and show who he really is.
Next, I went through a series of photographs where Alex was sitting in a chair and talking to people. This series even included a photo of him kissing Natasha, as if hinting at the previous point.
- But all this is just the tip of the iceberg, dear viewers. I'll tell you all about the berries now.
Photographs began to appear, clearly from a closed scientific facility. Numerous people in lab coats were visible working in laboratories, but the most striking images were of people sitting in small rooms enclosed by glass for easy viewing.
"HE HAS HIS OWN PRISON WHERE HE KEEPS PEOPLE," the host tried to calm down. "Do you understand, dear viewers? He keeps people in his lab, and who knows what kind of experiments he conducts on them?" The host made a sad face. "I can only imagine the horrors that could be happening there. And what do the police do about it? I'll tell you. NOTHING."
The presenter adjusted his hair a little and continued
I hope, dear viewers, I've provided you with enough evidence that our "hero" isn't quite so heroic. We now have many questions for everyone involved, and we must unite to confront this threat.
Just before the end he gave a rather charming smile.
- Remember, we tell you only the real truth without any subtext or concealment of facts.
*****
Few could truly appreciate the beauty of Asgard . An entire city built on the gold reserves of the conquests, with gardens located within the city limits to create a harmonious atmosphere.
Now the god of deception stood and looked at the beauty of the city from his chambers and for the first time since his imprisonment he was able to appreciate it.
Thoughts of escape haunted him, but now the only way to leave the palace was to jump out of the window.
His magic was sealed by his own mother after she held him in her arms for hours and refused to let him go.
He couldn't really blame her for that. The royal family would look bad to their subjects if he suddenly ran away, especially with his talents.
The peaceful viewing of the city views was interrupted by the opening of the door, into which Thor literally burst.
"What did they decide?" Loki, not paying much attention to his brother, wanted to continue watching, but he was grabbed and literally squeezed in a bear hug , without answering his question.
- Wait. Let me go.
And yet, no matter how much he resisted, he was pleased that they cared about him so much.
“Thank you, brother.” Thor finally let go of his brother after hugging him and looked at him with a small smile. “I don’t know what I would have done if my father had done what he was supposed to.”
“It would be nothing for him to kill me,” Loki clearly treated his adopted father with contempt.
“On the contrary,” sadness was heard in the blond’s words, “he considers himself responsible for your crimes and could not have done it any other way.”
Loki didn't respond to this.
- The only thing I regret now is that you didn’t tell me about all this earlier.
- Well, I'm sorry that I didn't really have any desire to help you in any way.
- Everything is fine, we are now checking what you said and if it turns out to be true, your punishment will not be very severe.
To which Loki merely waved his hand as if hinting that it didn’t matter to him now.
- Come with me, Loki.
- You know that I can’t leave my chambers.
“Yes, I know,” he just smiled mysteriously, which caused a suspicious look from the god of deception. “Let’s go.”
After leaving the chambers, the guards who were standing outside did not react in any way, but only followed a little behind.
- Where are we going?
But he didn't receive an answer.
A few minutes later, they arrived at one of the rooms. When the crown prince opened it, Loki saw a multitude of scrolls and other miscellaneous documents piled on the table and scattered across the floor, literally blocking access to the desk.
“That’s how I work,” the thunder god admitted sheepishly.
He only received a questioning, mocking look.
“Here is the board,” Thor began to explain, “a bunch of notes with requests from all over Asgard and from the worlds with which we are closely connected.”
Thor shuffled papers around just to get to his desk. The shelves along the walls were also piled high with various papers.
- And why did you bring me here?
- To show what you fought for.
- If I became a ruler...
“You would have done this anyway,” Thor said without any humor while reading one of the sheets of paper, “my father said that if I can’t even handle this, then what kind of ruler would I be?”
" Pfft ." Loki lifted one of the scrolls with a hint of disdain, read it, and laughed. After all, it was a citizen's request to explain whose tree was located on the property.
Thor waited for his brother to finish.
"The great and mighty Thor is doing such important and necessary things. If I were ruler, I wouldn't be doing this."
- Then you would be a bad ruler.
- Pfff, yes, I'll do it faster than these old people can decide anything sensible at their meetings.
-Get out of here - Loki literally kicked his brother out from the table - you can’t do anything anyway except swing your hammer.
Without further ado, Thor quietly left the room, unable to suppress a smile as he left. Fortunately, his brother didn't see it.
*****
A contented red guard, humming a melody, entered one of the laboratories he had been told to visit.
Of course, there was a reason for his good mood. That reason was a small message from his eldest daughter with a single thumbs-up sign for what he was doing.
This was due to the fact that he had recently visited the shelter as part of an image-improvement campaign, where he told stories that were approved and played games he didn't particularly enjoy. At first, Alexey was reluctant to engage in all this, but one call from the water lord completely changed the Soviet hero's mind on the matter.
Literally the next day after the news broke, he received this short message, and it was very important to him. After all, the few times he'd actually encountered Natasha, she'd shown no signs of wanting any contact with him, and the thought that Ledov might have spoken to her didn't particularly irritate Alexey. Ledov hadn't forced her to go to the shelter, so if Natasha had written , she had done so of her own free will.
With such good thoughts in his head, he didn’t notice how the doctors took the measurements they needed and left him alone in the center of a small testing ground.
- Wow, that's fucking amazing - the guard couldn't help but exclaim at what he saw.
A man entered the training ground wearing armor the supersoldier had never seen before. The dark exoskeleton gave the impression of a bodybuilder in a tight suit. He was nearly two meters tall. His eyes were covered with blue armored goggles reminiscent of a scuba diver's mask, clearly meant for more than just eye protection. His strong arms and legs made it clear he'd be better off avoiding his wearer's blows.
- Ha ha "Ha !" a loud laugh echoed throughout the complex, and even the suit's wearer's movements questioned the hero's sanity. "Let the fight begin."
And it truly began. The sparring began with a rapid series of strikes. The Guardian's blows were either blocked or dodged. Realizing he had no reason to worry about his opponent , the Guardian intensified his attack.
At first, everything was fine; using his strength, given by the serum , Alexei was able to suppress an opponent who was equal in strength, but not equal in experience, who tried to fight back, but was still pinned to the corner.
And just when the guard wanted to finish the fight with one blow, everything changed.
A sharp grab and throw knocked him back a bit, and then the super-soldier began to be beaten. His every move was intercepted by his opponent and used against him.
In just a couple of minutes, the guard himself was standing in the corner, trying to fight off the enemy , who seemed to be reading his every move.
- Stop - the voice from the speaker stopped the fight - thank you, Alexey, now go to the doctors, they will examine you.
to his senses a little, he watched as his opponent calmly walked away and the sky had only one question: “What the hell is this?”
*****
- And now we'll get out what's in every fridge – the show's pretty host was preparing "ordinary dishes" – we have: foie gras , marbled beef, saffron, white truffles...
Alex, standing in the kitchen watching this show, couldn’t understand how such products were in every refrigerator.
- I didn't think you were a fan of gourmet food.
A smile appeared on the cook's face when Natasha entered the kitchen with a charming smile.
- Don't pay attention, I don't have such products.
But her gaze was fixed on the table where Alex stood. There was flour, salt, sugar, eggs, and apples.
- But you still want to cook something.
"Yeah, I just needed a little break. After our little adventures, I still haven't had a chance to properly relax." Alex didn't waste any time and started kneading the dough. He'd been running around so much that he realized he needed a break, so here I am.
- Such a poor guy, so busy working - she put her hand on his shoulder and made a sad face - and I thought you were now working on those news stories that are discrediting you.
- Oh, you mean that – Alex thought for a moment – don’t worry about it, I have everything under control.
-Well, whatever you say, she looked at the table with food, - it’s a pity that I won’t be able to taste your work of art.
- Why is that? You just arrived.
"I said I'd find your killer, and I did. Now he's with your security , and Fury's urgently bringing me back. He's saying something important."
"So you decided to come see me? Although you could have immediately flown away with your friends from the shield."
- Well, yes. To give you some of my precious time. On that particular weekend when you knew for sure that I would be nearby.
- Ohhhh, I'm so grateful for the honor. And the day off was just a coincidence.
- Well, well.
They both smiled at each other in understanding of their actions.
"I need to know something about this guy you brought?" Alex's expression turned thoughtful, bringing the conversation back to business.
Natasha spent some time talking about her mission while Alex prepared the pie and put it to bake.
- This means that he will sit quietly until tomorrow, but I will ask you, Agent Romanov, to stay.
- I'm telling you , Fury ...
Alex came close to her and looked closely into her eyes, while the girl herself did not show much denial.
- I said stay agent.
- Ohhhh – there was clearly feigned suffering in her voice – but my boss…
- One day will wait for you. You won't be able to leave the city today anyway!
- And why is that? - Both were pleased with the budding flirtation.
- Because one call from me and not a single plane will fly away from here, and any unidentified flying object in sight will be destroyed so that you won’t be able to call anyone .
- Oh my God, you're just a dictator - she raised her arms and hugged his neck - using your powers to satisfy your personal goals.
"You do so much and you need some rest too," their faces came closer, "and I just don't want to let you go."
They spent the next ten minutes absorbed in each other, but a loud beep from the oven made them stop.
The water lord, who had just been so absorbed in one task, now didn't know what to do. The dilemma between a delicious-smelling and beautiful pie or a beauty with a hungry gaze made him pause and think for a moment.
Fortunately, this dilemma resolved itself. Her hungry look wasn't just due to her recent actions, so she came closer, simply grabbed a small piece, and popped it into her mouth.
" Mmm ... delicious." The red-haired beauty licked her fingers with great effect, which sent Alex's thoughts spinning in the wrong direction.
After a short break for a snack, the flirting continued. Natasha seemed to be mocking him, as every action she took was too sexual for his liking.
"Well, that's enough for me," she said, putting the plate aside after eating one piece. "It was delicious, but I need to watch my figure."
- No way, you won't get off with just one piece.
In an instant, her arms and legs were bound with water bracelets, preventing her from escaping. Realizing the situation she found herself in, a sly smile spread across her.
- Someone seems to have a fetish for bondage!
"What can I do?" the owner of the house didn't even deny. "It's one of the most effective methods of immobilization I have."
Her bound hands and feet didn't stop her from arching her back so that her tormentor's eyes didn't know where to turn. And at one point, she thought they might part. Which was very flattering.
"You want a piece, right?" She opened her mouth and the spoon with the pie fell inside.
- Despot... monster... manipulator... - with each new word she was fed small pieces.
For several minutes, the tied up girl, who clearly had no intention of getting out, arched so that her captor ’s hands explored her body.
- Well, now it's time for another sweet!
He grabbed her bridal style and carried her, still tied up, into the bedroom.
****
The clink of glasses echoed throughout the room where two people sat at a table. The presenter , who had recorded the video a couple of days earlier, and his supervisor were now celebrating the new episode together.
"The video was a huge hit, Igor. Did you see it?" the host was clearly inspired.
Of course, Max saw it. We've already got several million views. If this keeps up, we might even get to ten.
It sounded like a toast.
"But you know what worries me, Igor?" the presenter looked at his boss in bewilderment. "We're not the only ones doing this. Some TV channels and many others online have started doing the same thing as us."
- Are we starting to destroy Ledov's reputation?
- What are you saying? - the boss's face twisted a little. - We're just giving people an alternative point of view, and the fact that they donated money to us at that moment is just a coincidence.
- Yeah, that was good material. Too bad I had to pay for it.
- Are you talking about those photos from the labs?
- Yes, I had to bargain a little for this informant.
- Ha ha Ha —Maxim even spilled a little liquid from his glass on his expensive suit—you paid for this information. I was sent a hefty envelope with these photos as a "gift."
-That is.
- Yes, you still have to work a lot to grow to that level.
- It's just strange how quickly it all started.
“ I don’t think there’s anything strange about it,” Igor said, abandoning his attempt to clean his suit and throwing down the napkin. “Someone up there just got fed up with him and took him on.”
-That means you can still make some money on this.
- Sounds like a toast!
They sat for a while longer and discussed their plans until another important issue came up.
- What if Ledov decides to do something ?
- Ugh, what would he do? I'm sure he has a ton of other things to do besides go around explaining himself to every internet resource.
At that moment, one of Igor's subordinates ran into the office without knocking, which is unusual; he simply ran up and started showing a video that made him sweat a few drops.
- Greetings to all!
The video showed Ledov standing against the backdrop of a sunset with an unknown guy, and his voice was very pleased.
"A lot of people have been getting really upset and dissatisfied with me lately, so we"—he put his arm around the guy standing next to him , who clearly wanted to be somewhere else but bravely looked into the camera lens—"decided to hold a series of meetings to answer our questions. So expect us to visit."
After which both subordinates looked at their boss, expecting something unknown.
- Well... he won't actually come to us, will he?

Chapter Text

Waking up was strange for Alex. Falling asleep with a red-haired beauty nestled next to him, her leg proprietorially thrown over him as she drifted off, was much more pleasant, so the emptiness in the bed was quite unpleasant. The reason for her absence turned out to be simple: she was standing and carefully examining herself in the mirror, caressing her side. The view from behind, however, quickly lifted his spirits.
Alex's mind flashed back to yesterday. After the raging emotions had calmed, they simply lay there and chatted, about completely different topics. He still couldn't understand how their conversation about pyramids had turned to finger -wringing . Then, leaving the room to get a snack, Natasha decided to wear only one of his shirts, which looked very sexy. Unable to resist the sudden emergence of that firm butt, she had to use the kitchen table for other purposes.
Having finished this and finally grabbed a bite to eat, they packed some food for bed, where they lay together and watched a movie where many a man's dream had fallen asleep. Alex thought her expression was incredibly relaxed, something difficult for an intelligence operative to achieve. So, hugging her, he fell asleep.
- Now that's what I call awakening.
With a satisfied face, he simply lay and looked at the spy who looked at him through the mirror.
- You know, yesterday I had a gunshot mark on my side - she slowly ran her hand to show where exactly it was - and now it’s a clean spot, do you know anything about that?
And such a sly look, as if both interlocutors already knew the answer.
"Yes. It was me!" Alex admitted frankly. "It's a small reward for completing the task."
She posed in front of the mirror for a moment, causing the reclining man to try to take in the scene. Then she walked over and gracefully straddled him, sitting on his waist. Placing her hands on his chest, she moved closer, their faces literally centimeters apart.
- Admit it, you were just irritated and constantly attracted attention?
- Well ...
His answer was interrupted by a passionate kiss that the spy bestowed upon him.
"Thank you," she whispered languidly, breaking the kiss. And then she resumed her previous actions.

Alex was about to begin exploring her body again when he felt a small but sharp pain in his side. Natasha had pinched him where the bullet mark had been.
- Don't do anything like that again without my approval.
Receiving an assenting nod, she gave him a satisfied kiss and headed off to get ready. After all, her superiors had ordered her to return as soon as possible, and she was already late.
All these actions began to transfer Alex's blood to another place, so he stood up and, walking up to Natasha, hugged her from behind.
-Maybe you can stay another day?
A kiss on the neck accompanied this question.
- I've already stayed here too long. Fury won't be happy if I stay any longer.
-Then maybe you'll stay for breakfast?
Her head was pressed against Alex's chest and they just stood there, enjoying the moment of silence.
- Just breakfast. If I hadn't been sure it was urgent, I would have stayed longer.
Then the plan is this: we'll wash up... have breakfast... and then a car will pick you up... and take you to your private jet , which will fly wherever you say.
The offer was tempting, but the periodic kisses that Alex gave her on different parts of her body distracted her.
- You'll still spend the same amount of time at the airport while you're filling out the paperwork.
"Well, yes, you're right," the last argument broke the wall of resistance. "You simply have a gift for diplomacy."
A second later, Alex picked her up and together they went to the shower to get themselves ready and have breakfast.
A few hours later, when the car was already waiting for its passenger and the people working in the house diligently did not look as the guest of the owner of the house gave a passionate kiss, in which she tried to instill a reluctance to leave, but even such a passionate farewell must end sooner or later.
- The pie was delicious, I hope I can still appreciate your culinary skills.
- I'll be glad, but I hope I won't have to wait long for this.
"I can't promise anything," she said, and her gaze was so sad that Alex wanted to hold onto her even more.
Alex couldn't tear his eyes away from the woman as she walked away, especially the way her hips moved in time with her steps. As she got into the car, she smiled teasingly at him, knowing the effect she had.
When the car finally left, Alex noticed from the looks on the staff's faces that his guest's visit would be discussed between them for a long time.
- Okay, I need to go to work.
*****
Secret laboratories are a common practice for those who want their activities to remain private.
Until recently, this lab was considered top secret. So, when word started spreading everywhere, many employees became concerned about their work, but management insisted that work continue as usual. The only change was the addition of a larger security force, which began patrolling not only the facilities but also the work areas, just in case anyone tried to get to the employees' families.
Dr. Ledov found it amusing to watch how many employees passing by looked at him with incomprehension. While everyone was worried about their future, their boss walked the hallways with a satisfied smile.
Walking into the section where people with different abilities were kept, Alex found the last person to arrive here.
In a small room with a transparent wall and ceiling, Jose was lying on the bed and sleeping.
"Jose Garcia Lopez?" the head of the laboratories entered the door. "Greetings, my name is Alexander Ledov, I am the head of this complex."
They shook hands, but the Spaniard himself was very wary of his guest, as Jose had recently tried to kill him. Therefore, he was extremely wary of his friendliness.
- Let's take a walk.
They left his cell and walked down the corridor.
"You know, the world has changed dramatically lately. A lot has become unclear and unknown. What was once fairy tales has turned out to be true. While we can't do much about aliens who suddenly decide to visit our home because they're far away, we can do a lot about people with different abilities like us."

They walked past various cells housing different people. Some areas were empty, while others contained people reading books, and in some, the sound of television could be heard.
"That's precisely why people with abilities like ours are of great interest to the authorities of many countries, or, more accurately, why they're very interested in our capabilities. Therefore, given the right opportunity, they'll happily do whatever it takes to achieve the results they desire."
They approached another cell identical to the one Jose was held in. The only difference was the numerous scorched spots and burnt objects inside.
As soon as he knocked and attracted the attention of the man sitting in the corner, his eyes widened, and in fear he literally tried to press himself against the wall, trying to be as far away as possible from the face of the head of the laboratory, which he saw.
"This man possessed the ability to create and manipulate fire, and until recently, he was capturing young girls and mutilating them by burning their skin. Fortunately, my men were able to catch him before he could increase his body count."
Alex led them further.
"When he arrived here, he tried to burn everything to break free, but just a few hours with me and you can see the results. I hope you're not that hostile?"
If it weren't for the threats from the SHIELD agent, Jose would have left this place right then and there. He didn't want to go through the same procedures as the guy in the cell. Even though he didn't feel sorry for him after what he'd heard.
"This is where the problems begin," Ledov continued. "People haven't gotten used to us and our abilities yet, so anyone who commits crimes with them causes more negativity in society, and no hero can compensate for that."
- Are you going to put in a cage everyone who started terrorizing society?
- Of course not. It's not just criminals who are kept here. Many who have gained their abilities but can't control them also come here. For example, this guy.
In another glassed-in room there was a young man in his early twenties who was sitting and playing on the computer and not paying attention to anything.
"His ability is to generate large amounts of uncontrollable energy," Alex said, looking at his companion's face. " His body is creating an explosion he can't control, so to avoid killing anyone else, he came here for help."
"He looks quite calm," Jose said, looking closely at the man behind the glass.
- That's now. We have to regularly replace everything inside, because severe stress causes an explosion.
-And you just change everything inside when he destroys everything?
"Why not?" A man came and asked for help. It would cost a lot less to replace everything inside than to cause an explosion somewhere in a high-rise building. Because one such explosion and his fate would be sealed. At best, they'd tranquilize him, unless they decided he was a terrorist and shot him on the spot.
When the glass opened, Alex calmly walked inside and greeted the willing prisoner. After a brief conversation, they left the room and headed off together to where Ledov had led them. After greeting him, Jose learned that the man's name was Evgeny, or Zhenya for short.
"So here's what I want to tell you. You can leave and continue your work as a mercenary," Jose looked at him with disbelief, "but then you'll become my personal enemy."
Jose remembered the guy behind the glass who tried to go against the Russian avenger and he didn’t particularly like that fate.
Or I can find you another job that pays well but is fully supported by society. It's up to you.
They walked through a few more corridors, and Jose saw many strange things. People with a mixture of different animals, just with large limbs on normal bodies. One was a large slug, another was just a walking skeleton.
- Not all people want to have what they have and that's okay, we also try to help them as much as we can.
This entire excursion was simply to express his point of view to the teleporter . But even so, Jose's options weren't many: either a short and free life or working for one of the world's most famous heroes with a good reputation, great opportunities, and a large bank account.
A few minutes later, the trio emerged outside. Jose was given a phone and asked to film a short video.
“Good day everyone,” Alex began speaking into the phone, “recently many people have decided to express their opinion about me and my work.”
- Many people complain that I don’t go to interviews, so my friend and I – he pointed to himself and Zhenya , who was standing modestly nearby – will come and answer many of your questions.
Jose finished filming with a satisfied smile, realizing that whoever these two were going to visit would definitely be unlucky.
Having thanked the explosive man for his help, he was sent back to get ready.
- What about me?
- Give me your hand.
Without really thinking, Jose offered his hand and when Alex grabbed it he felt a burning pain on his wrist.
When the pain disappeared, the Spaniard saw that a symbol similar to some kind of rune had been burned into his body as if with acid.
"Nothing personal, but I have to keep an eye on you," the water lord began to explain, clearly implying that there were no jokes being played. "Consider this a beacon by which I will always find you. So if something goes wrong, you won't be able to hide from me. Run around... yes. But believe me, you won't last long."
-And what will happen to me?
Option one: you do everything you're told, get a good salary, respect, fame, and girls for every taste. On holidays, you see your family and tell them wonderful stories.
The teleporter could quickly imagine all this and stood satisfied.
- Or option two: you leave and resist, I find you by the mark I placed, I remind you of the attempt to kill me and you will still complete the goal that is now intended for you, but without everything that was in the first option.
Here, Jose’s face literally began to fear his interlocutor.
-It's like a choice without a choice.
- Be glad about that. - Alex patted him on the shoulder and went inside. - Some people don't even have that.
The Spaniard suddenly realized why they were outside now. Because he might not see the sun for a long time. Because the choice, in his case, was obvious.
*****
- Are you okay?
Now two people were standing in front of the entrance to one of the office buildings where videos were being filmed for an Internet channel .
- I can handle it.
Evgeny tried to look confident, but so many people around him made him nervous.
“Don’t worry, just follow the plan,” Alex encouraged his voluntary prisoner.
Without wasting any more time, they began climbing to the floor they needed. It was fascinating to watch how people, upon seeing Alex, suddenly tried to simply disappear from his sight.
Having found the right door and without being shy, the door was kicked open.
“Hello everyone,” Alex greeted him sweetly and friendly, attracting everyone’s attention and watching with a satisfied smile as everyone’s eyes widened in the studio.
- Please leave the premises.
The man in the expensive suit tried to stop the intruders, but to no avail. His words were ignored, and he sat down in fear when the aquatic mutant simply pointed a finger at him. The eight people present suddenly realized they wanted to leave the room.
The first person who was closest to the exit tried to leave the hall, but the door did not open as if it was frozen.
- Why are you so inhospitable? You wanted an interview. So I'm giving it to you!
Alex sat Zhenya down next to the presenter, who was now speechless, even though he hadn't been able to keep quiet just recently, telling everyone about the Russian hero's deeds.
Still trying to get the unexpected guests out, the man in the suit suddenly sat down silently in a chair, simply frightened by the look Alex gave him.
- Well, let's not waste time.
*****
One live stream online attracted attention. Some algorithms were literally rewritten to ensure that this particular stream appeared to everyone, whether they wanted to watch it or not.
"Greetings to all viewers," Alex was now standing between the presenter and a man unknown to the public, "various interesting events have been happening lately, which our 'esteemed journalists' are trying to cover."
At that moment, the presenter's face twisted as he was grabbed by the shoulder.
"So I decided to give you some answers to your questions. But it won't be me answering them; it'll be my friend Zhenya, who's decided to help me with this. So, a little background."
Instead of the broadcast, a video from the lab started playing , showing Zhenya, unknown to the public, sitting on a chair with a doctor sitting next to him. Time ticked on, and then suddenly the doctor rushed out of the glass chamber, and a few seconds later, the patient began to glow brightly and exploded in a massive mass of fire, destroying the camera. After that, the video ended. The camera now showed only the host, his eyes wide with fear, and his visibly nervous guest.
-Well, start the interview, we have a tight schedule – Alex’s voice could be heard from behind the camera.
- Y... dd ... good... good afternoon. - The host, constantly stuttering from nerves, finally managed to greet everyone, constantly glancing at Alex, who sat out of the camera's line of sight.
"Oh, come on. You were doing so well before," the Avengers team member chimed in again. "Zhenya, while the presenter's recovering from the video, tell us a little about yourself."
Telling everyone about himself was difficult for someone who tries to avoid contact with anyone to avoid causing harm. He took a good while to tell the story: he told a little about himself, how he awakened his abilities, didn't hide the fact that several people suffered because of it, then described how he went into hiding, and concluded by asking Dr. Ledov for help and how grateful he was for his help in controlling his powers.
As Zhenya continued his story, he became increasingly sweaty and sometimes began to glow, which caused the presenter to also become sweaty and begin to turn pale.
"You see, Maxim," the host responded to his name as the superhero approached and stood next to him, once again appearing in the cell, "you wanted to know who's in 'my personal prison.' I'm sure I can give you a personal tour. "
To which the presenter shook his head.
- Then maybe I should release all these people from “my personal prison” so they can move freely?
And again the answer was negative.
- Then why are you so outraged by my actions?
“We… we got paid , ” the one who had recently acted so confidently responded in panic.
"They paid!" Alex's feigned surprise drew a sob from the man. "What do you mean, paid? You're an independent publication!"
And then he burst out. Maxim started telling how they were paid, how he paid, how he changed the information not only in the video about Alex but also in his other episodes. A little more and he would have started telling about all the minor crimes he committed as a child.
- And here I thought you were a decent publication - his gaze changed abruptly and turned towards the camera - then we’ll have to find this decent publication!
It wasn't difficult to understand who this phrase was for: "Everyone who has been paid can come to you."
While all this was happening, Zhenya’s glow became stronger and stronger and he was already sitting and holding his hands on his head.
- Oh my God. My friend is about to lose control of his abilities.
The screen showed the explosion again, reminding viewers what it could mean.
- You need to leave immediately.
After Alex's words, the presenter broke down and you could hear how the others also suddenly began to try to get out, but there was one BUT.
The door is closed.
Viewers could hear the screams of people trying to get out of the studio, but were unable to do so while the person's glow on camera grew stronger.
- I can't hold back any longer.
"Don't hold back," Alex said, not at all worried about the impending explosion, taking the presenter's chair and looking at something on his phone. "Give these corrupt people the scoop they wanted, and let everyone know what their lies led to."
After this, a bright light appeared in the frame and a moment later the broadcast was interrupted.

Chapter Text

"Just recently, the big news was about one of the Avengers' teams having labs where they were conducting experiments on people. The public wasn't too happy about this, so Alexander Ledov decided to give an interview and answer some questions. Fortunately, no one was killed and everyone is safe."
The host of one of the American channels exhaled and continued.
The interview revealed that the information they were providing was distorted and paid for by third parties. Literally within 24 hours of this broadcast, more than 90% of all publications that had published similar information immediately began either deleting the content or recalling print runs of the newspapers, issuing retractions, apologies, and justifications.
"The future is bleak for everyone who had to do this, as they immediately lost a ton of subscribers and advertisers," the presenter concluded with a slight smile.
- And even our channel should apologize for not speaking out in defense of our hero and protector.
He waited a few seconds and then continued the broadcast.
-In other news, Stark Industries has announced a major hiring spree…
The shield director's hand closed the news broadcast on the computer and turned his attention to the agent who stood in front of him.
- And how do you like it?
- Good move, now anyone who uses the media against him will think twice.
Natasha's answer didn't particularly satisfy the shield director, and she was rewarded with a glare.
- And you have nothing to do with this?
- Well , she was caught like a little child, but she didn’t even bother to admit her guilt - while Alex was having fun with Stark, I was asked to do something.
The spy explained that a special zone had been created, and she, with the help of a photographer, had taken several photos to make it look like an evil scientist's laboratory, where someone had been able to infiltrate and take a few photos. The props, extras, and Photoshop had done their job, and then these photos had spread across the black market with the help of Natasha's acquaintances, biding their time.
- He created his own problem and solved it himself.
- According to him, this is all to improve his reputation.
"And I must admit, the plan worked. Even the number of negative publicity surrounding the Avengers has decreased."
- Unless he makes some serious mistakes, no media outlet will voluntarily work to destroy his reputation.
- He seemed to keep a lot of secrets from you.
Natasha just shrugged.
"That's normal. If he'd rushed to me with words about love or destiny and started telling me everything, then I'd have been really worried."
Fury was somewhat satisfied with the answer , and then opened the folder and showed it to his subordinate. Natasha carefully perused the file, which contained numerous influential Russian figures who had met with representatives around the world, and even some Shield members. After reviewing the entire folder, she looked questioningly at her boss.
- What you just saw are Hydra agents in the Russian cell - Natasha looked at her boss with distrust
- But the hydra...
- She should be dead, I know, but Ledov provided reliable evidence of her existence.
- Alex?
- Yes. He hid much more from you than you could have thought.
"That's a sly one," a satisfied smile appeared on her face, "he kept distracting me, either with Drake or with information about Asgard . And then he started a war between the organizations."
Fury merely nodded in agreement, as he was receiving reports. And that explained the increased number of terrorist attacks in the country. It was simply a struggle for resources and influence.
- And that's why we have a problem.
- If there is a hydra in a country that hates everything connected with Nazis, then there is one in other places too.
- Yes. That's your task: find the Hydra members, especially if they're inside the shield.
- Will I work alone?
- Besides you, there are several other agents working on this case.
- Would you like to enlighten Rogers? I'm sure this information would be of interest to him.
Fury waved his hand in displeasure.
-Rogers is a soldier, he won't be able to keep this secret, but if something goes wrong, he can be brought in to help.
The Director of Shield took out the flash drive that Stark had given him and handed it to Natasha.
"Here's everything Ledov dug up. Start with those closest to the Shield. I don't care how, but I need all the information I can get."
- The goal is clear. Do you have permission to carry it out?
And he simply nodded and, without waiting, the spy left the office. There was a lot of work to do.
*****
- My prince, was everything like this here?
The captain of the Asgardian guard asked his Thor while he was examining the city in the sands from which he had recently tried to escape with his friends.
- Yes, it is him. Only…
Something was wrong. There was no one in the city. Just emptiness. All of this troubled the thunder god.
Returning to this desolate planet, Thor wasn't aiming to vent his anger on the civilians (of course, that was part of it). His goal was to figure out what mechanism was there that was blocking Heimdall's vision . In the future, such a mechanism could prove useful in concealing Asgard from hostile forces. At least if he could figure out what it was and how it worked.
- My prince, you must see this.
The guard who had summoned Thor wasted no time and led him into the city. When he reached the large square that had once served as a market, he was stunned.
Hundreds of bodies, frozen in a pose of prayer, all looked towards the pedestal on which lay the pharaoh, already familiar to Thor, with a dagger in his chest.
Approaching one of the praying bodies, he shook it, but there was no reaction. The dead man's body simply sagged and fell.
At that moment, Lady Sif arrived from another part of the city in her battle form with another squad.
- Looks like they're all dead.
Thor came to the same conclusion and decided to examine the body, but did not find any signs that could help.
Finding nothing, the two of them went to examine the pharaoh himself.
"It looks very much like some kind of ritual," Sif said, examining the body without touching the dagger.
"Or maybe this is punishment for losing an important object?" he said with a satisfied smile, clearly hinting to the woman next to him whose handiwork this was.
- So they all died because of you.
Realizing this, the smile quickly disappeared from the prince’s face.
The pharaoh's body didn't attract much attention either. Even the dagger protruding from his chest was simply a beautiful piece of iron and emitted no energy.
Having inspected the square, the detachment went to the temple itself.
Approaching the temple, Thor stopped and began to look around.
- What's wrong? - Sif looked at her prince suspiciously.
- What's missing?
- And what then?
- I don’t know, something was here.
- You were wounded, it might have seemed that way to you.
“Perhaps,” although Thor agreed, he still tried to find something by looking around.
The group entered the temple without relaxing their vigilance.
- Look at everything here.
Having given the order, Thor himself, along with his battle companion, set off to explore the pyramid. Several Asgardian specialists headed to the control panel, hoping to find something of interest. Meanwhile, Thor decided to join his men. Considering he hadn't been inside the pyramid, exploring it was interesting.
The first half hour.
The corridors and drawings couldn't hold his attention for long. Fortunately, when he went downstairs, he found something interesting.
- This can be considered a good catch.
Sif looked at her prince doubtfully.
- How long have you been a gold lover?
Now they looked at a huge hall filled with various golden objects, from coins to statues, among which could be found many other valuables.
"I live in the Golden City," Thor replied, as if not understanding the question, "and I've long been accustomed to working with it."
Walking up to the nearest pile, he picked up a few coins and examined them.
- Good gold. With such loot, you could throw a fine feast.
- You only want to throw feasts.
But this did not stop her from trying on a small gold bracelet.
Now all this gold needed to be delivered to Asgard while the specialists figured out the technology.
When he went outside, Thor noticed something strange.
It became much colder, although it was still light. Remembering what kind of days there were here, this was unusual. The colder weather was offset by the absence of light from all but one sun. That sun was also obscured by the planet's other satellite.
- Eclipse.
A beautiful sight. But the longer everyone looked at it, the stranger the situation around it became.
The sand around the city turned blacker than black and began to rise , forming figures of black dogs walking on their hind legs and wielding various types of melee weapons.
“Exactly,” Thor suddenly remembered, “there were two statues here that looked just like them.”
He pointed to a dozen towering dog warriors.
- Couldn't you have told me about this earlier?
- I told you that I forgot.
- Damn. Looks like this is some god's domain.
- So this sacrifice is most likely the last tribute to their god.
- Most likely to punish the villains.
"It 'll be easy," the thunder god wasn't worried at all. "Take some men and guard the pyramid. I'll deal with them."
-Thor them...
"This is Sif's order ," the voice that spoke the order made Sif tremble, but not from fear.
- Yes, my king.
As he began to swing his hammer, he merely gave her a 'everything will be fine' smile.
Thor spun his hammer and flew into the sky, which was completely covered by clouds, and like the wrath of God, to the sounds of heavenly thunder, he descended upon his enemies.
Like a meteorite, he crashed into the ground and a multitude of lightning bolts flew around him, turning many of God's soldiers back into sand.
With each blow, several dogs turned to sand, and each throw of the hammer reduced the army by several dozen.
Even after throwing a hammer at one of the giant statues , he continued to throw lightning bolts in all directions, and anyone who decided to approach received a charge that instantly turned them into sand.
Never before had Thor felt such immense power. It was as if he had been asleep and was just waking up.
With clear blue eyes from which lightning flashed, Odin's son, with a satisfied smile, simply did not notice his enemies.
Considering that these were simple infantry without any magic, it was more of a stroll than a battle.
He didn't follow the battle. Hundreds, thousands, minutes, hours. None of it mattered; there was only the battle and the number of his enemies.
Already under pouring rain, the likes of which this planet had probably never seen, Thor stopped this beating for a very good reason.
His enemies were gone.
Having examined his hands, through which lightning bolts were running, the satisfied Asgardian went to his people.
The glances directed at him pleased the prince. They held both fear and pride. After all, with such strength, he could confidently defend his home without relying solely on the hammer, which served him faithfully.
Upon learning that there were no casualties and only a few dozen enemies had infiltrated, the tall, blond man became sad. The researchers reported that a lot of work would be needed on the mechanism if they were to extract anything valuable from it.
- Well, let's go check our gold.
****
Returning to Asgard with a vast amount of loot was a joy. Many who had lived through the days of conquest began reminiscing about the past and sharing stories during the feast. But even Thor, who hadn't been particularly attentive to the conversations of others at the feast, noticed that some facts were beginning to clash, as if the old warriors remembered the same things differently. But all this was attributed to old age and poor memory.
Most of the squad with the researchers remained on the planet and dealt with the unknown mechanism, so after making sure of their safety when the eclipse ended, Thor went back because there were things to do here too.
Approaching the room he hated, Thor stopped , hearing nothing. The guards stood silently, guarding his brother.
A smile spread across his face as he stepped inside. Cabinets were broken, tables were destroyed, and in the midst of all this chaos, Loki lay on the floor, almost completely buried in various scrolls.
- So, brother, how do you like the current government?
- It's impossible. Lost cattle. Broken roof. They didn't share the woman. They didn't share the man.
Loki was now still lying down, reading the scrolls that simply caught his eye.
How is this possible? Why should the king of Asgard be doing this ?
The Jotun's wrath was unmatched. Even Thor knew that if his magic hadn't been blocked, the room would have been burned long ago.
"Well, you know," the blond man said, slightly modestly , "my father doesn't do that. Special people handle all that, and this is one of their rooms."
-But why are you doing this?
"Because my father admitted his mistake in raising me, and now I'm suffering for it," a tall, blond man sat down near his brother.
- Hahaha . Great Thor couldn't handle a pile of paperwork.
- You too, actually.
And then they laughed together only at the situation when the princes who were raised to rule were unable to cope with the work of their subjects.
But after laughing a little, the crown prince looked sadly at his younger brother.
-Loki. I talked to my father and he told me what will happen to you.