Chapitre 187: Bribing Tony -183
[With Tony Stark]
Tony hadn't had it easy lately; not only had he been kidnapped, the man he saw as a father figure had betrayed and tried to kill him, and his home had attacked multiple times, but he also had to try and reassure the world that there weren't any risks of a nuclear war.
Suddenly, everyone turned to him and his Ironman suit for protection. He was suddenly once more under pressure to hand it over, though thankfully, the fools in Washington had been in a bit too much rush and had tipped their hand.
So, he had been able to deal with them easily enough, but he knew that they weren't about to stop anytime soon; the military wanted it, and they wanted it badly.
He had been flying up to the ass end of nowhere in Canada to look over the blast site, only to be turned away. Then invited in the next day and then turned away again. It was a massive clusterfuck.
Still, he did his part; he spoke to the press, to the people he was seen with the right people, shaking the right hands. And the world had calmed down. At this point, everyone was finally starting to believe it was some kind of accident.
Tony had been able to look a little at the place, and he was sure it was some kind of secret lap that had blown up. However, since it wasn't an attack and since they didn't want to tell the truth, he didn't care enough to continue to play ball.
Thankfully, though, someone else was ready to help him relax. He had barely gotten home before Alexandra Ricci gave him a call and invited him over for something. Well, he wasn't about to turn down such an invitation.
And while he was trying to get together with Pepper, well, he was sure she would understand that Ricci was just too good not to take for a spin, more so after he had seen that strange porn video at the auction.
He just had to see if he couldn't make that a reality after seeing her body like that. So when he was given the call, he made sure to take advantage of the invitation as soon as he could.
He was once again greeted by a small army of those beautiful and sexy maids, who seemed to really have missed him greatly. Their hands were more over him than his was on them. But he was here for their lady, and had them lead the way.
Tony was led through the opulent halls of Ricci's mansion, the lavish decor a testament to her wealth and taste. He couldn't help but marvel at the artwork and intricate designs that adorned the walls. The maids guided him to the pool out back.
There, he couldn't help but suck in a cold breath as she witnessed the sight right out of his dreams. Alexandra Ricci, in all her naked glory, climbed out of the pool. The water ran down over her flawless skin.
He couldn't help but freeze slightly at the sight, having to eventually pinch himself to be sure he wasn't in a dream and hadn't been kidnapped once again.
"Tony, darling," Alexandra called out, her voice dripping with seductive charm. "We need to stop meeting like this don't we."
Tony finally regained his composure, flashing his signature smirk. "Not at all, Alexandra. If anything, I would prefer all our meetings to start like this."
Alexandra just smiled and accepted a towel from one of her maids. While inside, she was cursing Tony and his unpredictability.
She knew she had invited him, but he came so unexpectedly and gave her no time to prepare at all. And She barely had time to run and get SCP-113 before he sat foot in her home. And then, rather than allow himself to get distracted by her maids, he went straight for her.
Leaving her no time to fix her hair, get dressed, or do makeup, making it impossible to see him. After all, she had a reputation to uphold. So, with no other option, she could only rush over and jump into the pool.
In the end, it worked; she could play everything off, but it didn't please her that she once again had to be naked around Stark, of all people.
Commanding one of the maids. "Get an extra glass for Stark." Alexandra led Tony over to a small table, where she sat down after accepting a bathrobe. "Come Tony, lets get comfortable before we begin all the serious talk."
Tony followed Alexandra to the table, his eyes lingering on her every move. Despite the whirlwind of events that had been his life recently, moments like these provided a much-needed distraction. He accepted the glass of champagne offered by one of the maids and took a seat across from Alexandra.
"So, what's the occasion?" Tony asked, raising his glass slightly.
Alexandra smiled, her eyes sparkling with a mix of mischief and intrigue. "I thought we could discuss something mutually beneficial. You've been through a lot, Tony, and I think I have something that might pique your interest."
Tony leaned back in his chair, taking a sip of the champagne. "You've got my attention."
Alexandra nodded, setting her glass down. "I hear things, Tony, many more than most people; my brother left me many things, including a vast network. I heard that you were attacked in your home not long ago."
Tony's expression hardened for a moment, a shadow crossing his face at the mention of the attack. "Yeah, someone decided to play target practice with my house. But I handled it."
"Alexandra couldn't help but grin at his brave words. She was after all the one who ordered that attack, so she knew full well how it ended with him defeated and on his ass. But she wasn't about to call him out on his lie.
"Is that so? Well, I guess you are Ironman, the great hero who will save us all from the horrors of the next nuclear war." She teased him about all the things the media were currently saying about him, some of which was all her doing through the Foundation. He really was a great distraction for the public.
Tony couldn't help but slightly grumble at her teasing words; after all, while he did love the attention he was getting, he also felt like they were all putting a lot of pressure on him.
"Well, it's a bit much, to be honest," Tony admitted, running a hand through his hair. "Everyone expects me to have all the answers, to be everywhere at once. It's exhausting."
"Well, in these chaotic times, you are all most people have to turn to." Alexandra said with a gentle smile as she took yet another sip, waiting for Tony to do the same before she spoke again.
"I'm just glad you are alright; rumour is that the attacker beat you fairly badly, a dangerous situation caused by some dangerous people." She commented just as he drank, causing him to cough.
Tony set his glass down, recovering from his cough. "Yeah, it was a close call," he admitted. "But it's nothing I can't handle. I've been through worse."
Alexandra leaned in slightly, her expression serious. "I know you can handle yourself, Tony, but these people you're dealing with aren't just any ordinary threats. They're playing a different game, with different rules."
Tony raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What are you getting at, Alexandra? What do you know?" Tony had tried everything to get answers and find out who had attacked him, but even with Jarvis working on it they had found nothing.
It was as if the person who attacked him was a ghost, there was not trace of them online, making it impossible to get any chance at payback, yet now it seemed that Alexandra might know something, so he was eager to learn what she knew.
"As I said Tony, my brother left me quite the network, and old men like him, well they don't really use the internet much, so I'm not surprised you have been unable to find anything about this legendary adversary you fought against."
Alexander took a sip before continuing. "I can't tell you much because I don't know all that much myself, but they aren't someone who you should make an energy out of if possible."
Tony frowned, his curiosity deepening. "You're really not giving me much to go on here, Alexandra. If you know something, now's the time to share it."
Alexandra sighed and shook her head. "I really can't tell you much; they are a ghost, barely more than rumors; my brother might have known more, but well, he isn't around anymore. No, instead, why don't we move on to the reason I asked to speak with you."
Tony could see that he wasn't about to get more out of her, so he just decided to leave that discussion for later. "Alright, go on."
"Have you ever heard of the Skrulls?" Alexandra asked, her voice low.
Tony frowned, shaking his head. "Can't say I have. Who are they?"
"Can't say I'm surprised; they aren't common knowledge." She said and snapped her fingers, calling own of her maids over with a tablet for Tony.
Tony took the tablet, looking through the files. As he read, his expression shifted from curiosity to shock. The files contained top-secret information from SHIELD about events in 1995, detailing encounters with the Skrulls and the involvement of some Carol Danvers. The Skrulls were shape-shifting aliens capable of imitating anyone, right down to their DNA. They had been on Earth, causing chaos and infiltrating various organizations.
"This… this is insane," Tony muttered. "Shape-shifting aliens? And they've been here since the '90s?"
Tony was willing to believe in many things; he had seen someone rip his suit, which could be bullets to pieces, with their bare hands. He had seen Shield and the military hunt down some disgusting monsters.
He knew some people, like Ricci, had lived for far longer than they had a right to; he had seen many a thing, but still, Aliens? And to have them on earth? For years? Not to mention two different alien races?
He had to admit, he did believe alien life had to be out there. The numbers were in favor of it, but still, it was shocking to hear that they had visited Earth.
Not to mention a race of aliens that could shapeshift list that. How did that even come about? Was it evolution, or had they used some kind of advanced tech to modify themselves?
Alexandra, unaware of his thoughts, just nodded. "Yes, and they're still here, Tony. They could be anyone, anywhere. That's why I need your help. You have the resources and the technology to find them and expose them."
Tony looked up from the tablet, his mind racing. He had to agree with her, if this was real, he wanted the ability to find them. they could replace anyone, even pepper, still he couldn't help but question Ricci. "And what's in it for you?"
Alexandra smiled, gesturing to one of the maids who brought over a small, heavy-looking ingot. "In return, I'm willing to provide you with this." She handed the ingot to Tony, who examined it closely.
"Is this… Vibranium?" Tony asked, his eyes widening.
"Yes, it is," Alexandra confirmed. "With this, you'll be able to upgrade your suit and better protect yourself from future threats."
Tony's mind was already working through the possibilities. "Alright, Alexandra. You've got a deal. I'll look into the Skrulls and see what I can find."
Alexandra's smile widened. "Excellent. I knew I could count on you, Tony. Let's make sure we're ready for whatever comes next."
Tony knew that she had sidestepped his question. But he couldn't help but marvel at the metal, something he had only heard rumors of. He had once had a sample of it, just a single gram, and it was fascinating.
So he could identify this ingot easily enough; after all, what else that legendary metal would Alexandra try and bribe him with?
Alexandra knew she had him; his eyes had lit up like a child on Christmas morning. He was no far too busy to think about the small details, and would be focusing only on the bigger ones, finding the Skrulls and looking into making a new suit.
Both things that would, in the end, serve her and the Foundation's interests. After all, Stark was a brilliant mind, and his being safe was a good thing, more so since he believed he could be brought in to serve the Foundation later down the road.
A/N
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