CHAPTER 28

c28 Special Date

The party ended hastily, leaving the newly hired life assistant, Natalie, to see off the guests while Tony Stark headed straight for his studio.

"Jarvis."

"Yes, sir."

"Investigate the relationship between Howard Stark and Anton Vanko; also, retrieve Ivan Vanko's biographical file."

"Yes, sir."

After instructing Jarvis, Tony took his place at the workstation.

Placing the arc reactor, taken from Ivan Vanko, on the workbench, Tony was taken aback.

Howard Stark, what kind of man were you?

For the sake of business, you took the accomplishments of two people for yourself?

A wave of emotions hit Tony. He was a proud man who despised such underhandedness, but then again, this man—his father—was someone he hardly knew.

"Sir."

Jarvis' voice broke Tony from his thoughts.

"The results are in. Anton Vanko was Howard Stark's partner. The two co-developed the arc reactor. However, they eventually disagreed on its application. Anton sought financial gain, while Howard believed it should benefit humanity. Afterward, Anton secretly sold the reactor technology, which was discovered by S.H.I.E.L.D. and the military. He was later sent back to his home country after his crimes were exposed."

"And Ivan Vanko, sir… I'm afraid his information has been erased from all public records."

Tony felt a sigh of relief escape him. Perhaps he needn't despise his late father after all.

"Is Ivan Vanko Russian?" Tony asked, his thoughts racing.

"Yes, sir."

"Have Natalie come in."

"Understood, sir."

A moment later, a 1.7-meter-tall woman with wavy reddish-brown hair entered.

"Boss, you called for me?"

The woman, dressed in her formal attire, was none other than Natasha Romanoff—Agent Black Widow, alias Natalie Rushman.

Tony turned to her as she approached, his mind still focused on the troubling revelations. He gave a slight nod and ordered:

"How much do you know about Russia? Find someone to go to Siberia to investigate Ivan Vanko."

"The one who caused a scene at the party?" she asked, confirming her understanding with the precision expected of a SHIELD agent.

Tony nodded. "Yes, that's the one."

"Got it. Anything else?"

"No."

Tony shook his head, signaling there was nothing more to address for now.

"Okay, boss. I'll be on my way," Natasha said, her tone professional as she turned to leave.

As Natasha exited, she made her way to her own room, where she quickly shed her persona of the charming assistant, her true agent demeanor taking over. She activated her computer and began investigating Ivan Vanko in Siberia, tapping out a Morse code message.

With a subtle flick of her fingers, she sent her report to S.H.I.E.L.D. Moments later, a short reply came through her earpiece.

"New orders, meet Tony Stark."

Natasha responded in Morse code, acknowledging the message with a quick tap.

Ding.

Meanwhile, on the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, Nick Fury sat with a thoughtful expression, eyes narrowed. He observed the unfolding events with intensity.

When Ivan Vanko left, Tony Stark didn't counter any of his accusations. It seemed the palladium poisoning was far worse than Tony had admitted. It might be time to reapproach Stark.

Fury's eyes shifted to a file on his computer—The Avengers Initiative. He clicked it open, several profiles listed within.

His eyes landed on Tony Stark's file, marked "Iron Man." A confident smile spread across his face.

But then, his gaze moved to the file above it: "Russell the Mage (Kamar-Taj)." Fury's brow furrowed. He had thought Russell was a minor figure in New York, easily manipulated to join the Avengers. But to his surprise, Russell had avoided any trouble. People in New York treated him with extraordinary respect, almost as if under some hidden influence.

Fury noted that Russell had some form of psychic ability, likely influencing the minds of others. He hoped to win over Tony Stark first, then use the opportunity to recruit Russell.

The quiet sound of knocks echoed on Natasha's window.

Gwen Stacy, also known as Ghost-Spider, and Russell the Wizard Spider-Man had arrived.

"Knock, knock."

Gwen's voice broke the silence as she chirped, "Hey, Miss Natalie! Your friendly neighborhood Ghost-Spider here. Just a reminder—don't stay up too late. Rest is important, even if you've got more work to do!"

Natasha smiled despite herself. "Thanks, Ghost-Spider, I'll keep that in mind."

"Good night, Miss Natalie!" Gwen called, swinging into the night sky with a carefree laugh.

"Good night, Ghost-Spider," Natasha muttered, a fond smile on her face.

Russell, who had also approached the window, knocked in a rhythm. He had always been fascinated by Morse code and, after mastering it, loved to use it in fun ways. His fingers tapped out a brief message.

Beep, beep, beep.

"Sweet dreams, Natasha."

Natasha froze. "You're trying to keep me awake, aren't you?"

After leaving Tony's mansion, Russell and Gwen suited up in their Spider-man gear, ready for their nightly patrol. Their version of a date was a little unconventional—swinging through the night sky, fighting crime, and helping people along the way.

Russell's enhanced perception allowed them to detect crime from miles away. No criminal in Los Angeles was safe from the two heroes.

Gwen Stacy was filled with joy that night, knowing they'd helped many people. But it was more than that—finally, after all the struggles in her own life, she had a partner to share this experience with.

Together, the duo swung across the rooftops, their laughter ringing out, before sitting atop the Watts Towers, waiting for the sunrise.

As the first light of day broke through the horizon, Russell looked at Gwen. "Did you notice the sky?"

"It's beautiful," Gwen replied, her voice soft.

"Not as beautiful as you," Russell said with a smile, his words sincere.

Little did they know, they were both being watched, for Russell was exactly the kind of hero the Avengers needed but had yet to recruit.

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