The school day finally ended, and Su Yi felt a wave of relief. His efforts over the past week had paid off: the ice around Mary Jane was slowly melting, and she was responding to his honest-yet-complicated advances. He was walking toward his villa, preoccupied with thoughts of his next romantic strategy, when the serenity was violently broken.
Just as he was about to step onto his private drive, a luxury sedan suddenly swerved toward him, the screech of tires culminating in a loud thwack and a shuddering stop. A tire had blown, sending the vehicle careening toward the wall.
Su Yi's newly acquired Danger Warning ability flared, a sudden, piercing prickle across his consciousness. He instinctively ducked and rolled to the side, avoiding the path of the out-of-control vehicle by inches.
The driver's door opened, and an incredibly beautiful woman emerged, her face contorted with panic and apology. It was Natasha Romanoff, in her seductive civilian guise.
"Oh, thank God!" Natasha exclaimed, rushing toward him, her carefully feigned distress convincing. "Are you alright? I don't know what happened—the tire just exploded. I am so terribly sorry! If you need compensation, please, let's discuss it."
Su Yi, his Danger Warning subsiding but leaving a residual suspicion, surveyed the scene. Too beautiful. Too dramatic. Yet, there was no immediate threat. "I'm fine," he said, dusting himself off. "No harm done. But it looks like you need a tow truck."
"It appears so," Natasha sighed, gazing forlornly at her incapacitated car. "I imagine I'll be waiting here a while."
"Well, you don't have to wait out here." Su Yi gestured toward the imposing villa gates. "My house is right there. I was just about to make coffee. How about you come in and wait for your recovery vehicle?"
Natasha's eyes widened slightly in gratitude, her expression a perfect blend of vulnerability and relief. "That is so kind of you! You're a true gentleman, especially after I nearly took you out with my terrible driving."
"I think any gentleman would be foolish to refuse a beauty in distress," Su Yi countered, offering his most charming smile. "My name is Su Yi, but please call me Su."
"I'm Shana," she replied smoothly, using her pre-planned alias.
Su Yi led "Shana" into his massive, empty villa, the air immediately filling with the tense, unspoken promise of their encounter. While Su Yi moved to the kitchen to prepare the coffee—he still preferred juice but maintained the 'coffee host' persona for guests—Natasha excused herself.
"Excuse me, Su, may I use the restroom?"
"Of course," Su Yi replied, pointing to the hallway.
As Natasha vanished, Su Yi's thoughts returned to the complex simplicity of the human element.
I have powers, I have money, yet I haven't secured a single significant romantic conquest. Mary Jane was so close, and then I complicated everything with my honesty.
He worked at the coffee bar, attempting to push the sudden appearance of the stunning woman out of his mind.
In reality, Natasha was moving with the silent efficiency of a phantom. She didn't enter the restroom.
Instead, she swept through the villa, her gloves quickly planting several miniature listening devices and surveillance bugs in strategic locations, assessing the security weaknesses, and, most importantly, finding Su Yi's master bedroom. The intel had confirmed he was a key player; now she needed to confirm his agenda and capabilities.
She returned moments later, leaning provocatively against the counter, watching him prepare the coffee.
"Su, you look incredibly focused when you make coffee," Natasha purred, striking a pose that showcased her athletic, elegant figure.
"Thank you," Su Yi replied, trying not to let her intense beauty distract him.
"You mentioned you're from the East? I've heard all Easterners are masters of martial arts. Is that true?" she asked, her eyes glittering.
"It's a common misconception, though I have learned a bit," Su Yi admitted.
"Oh, a martial artist! That's impressive. I insist you show me sometime," Natasha pressed, her voice laced with playful challenge.
Su Yi finished brewing and slid one cup across the counter. "Your coffee."
Natasha didn't reach for it. "Only one cup? You're not drinking, Su?"
"I prefer juice. Coffee is strictly for guests."
"How prudent," Natasha said, leaning forward conspiratorially. "So, when I was gone, you didn't, perhaps, slip something into my coffee? Something to make me drowsy so I'd be entirely at your mercy?"
Su Yi maintained his composed facade. "I prefer to rely on my personal charm, not cheap tricks. If you're concerned, I'd happily taste it first, or get you a juice."
"No need," Natasha said, her smile widening into a predatory grin. She picked up the mug, took a minuscule sip, and then, in a terrifying burst of speed and fluidity, launched herself over the counter.
The Danger Warning exploded in Su Yi's mind, a shrieking alarm bell that instantly overpowered the lust and curiosity. This was not flirtation; this was an attack.
He felt the sudden weight of her body, the hard, trained muscles of a professional. Before she could complete her maneuver—a tactical take-down and cuffing, no doubt—Su Yi wrapped his arms around her waist, activated his power, and focused.
WHOOM!
The kitchen was instantly empty. S.H.I.E.L.D. surveillance agents, who had covertly infiltrated the grounds, saw two figures suddenly vanish from their thermal scanners.
"Report! Target gone! Agent Natasha Romanoff... vanished!" the lead agent screamed into his comms.
"Disappeared? What do you mean, disappeared?" Nick Fury's voice boomed over the secure channel. "Find them! Locate Agent Romanoff's comms signal!"
They were far too late.
Su Yi and Natasha materialized abruptly in the brightly lit, metal-clad expanse of Tony Stark's subterranean workshop.
Tony Stark, who was bolting a panel onto the silver shell of his Mark II armor, jumped a foot in the air, dropping his power tool.
"What the Fuck?!" Tony yelled, staring at the bizarre tableau: a handsome teenager clutching a stunning, struggling woman who was definitely that S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.
Tony instantly grasped the situation. "Su! I distinctly recall telling you that my workshop is not for bringing female agents for impromptu exercise! And you said you couldn't carry people!"
Natasha, recovering instantly from the spatial displacement, shoved Su Yi away, drawing a small, specialized pistol from her hip holster and pointing it squarely at Su Yi's chest.
"I believe the terms of your contract have been violated, Mr. Stark," she said coolly, her alias forgotten.
Su Yi simply dusted off his shirt. "Nice trick, Agent. You spiked the coffee. And I recall saying that my teleportation has limitations on carrying mass, not that it was impossible. Emergencies change the rules." He locked eyes with her. "What did you put in that coffee? Was that a sedative?"
"Enough to put an elephant to sleep for twelve hours," Natasha confirmed, her grip steady on the weapon. "It appears your physical condition is... exceptional."
"I think I can handle a little elephant sedative," Su Yi replied, spitting the residual coffee onto the floor. "Now, since we're all here, and I've been rudely accosted by a government agent who tried to drug me, let's make the chaos even more interesting."
He turned to Stark. "Tony, can you disable any recording devices, comms, or electronic tracking signals on her person? Just temporarily."
Stark, already enjoying the spectacle and finding himself oddly protective of the teenager who armed him with secrets, nodded. "Jarvis, I concur. This is privileged shareholder discussion. Mute all signals from the beautiful agent's equipment."
"Yes, sir. Signal mute engaged," J.A.R.V.I.S. confirmed.
Su Yi faced Natasha's gun. "Relax, Natasha. I mean you no harm. I just don't like being drugged and interrogated."
"I don't believe you!" she snapped. "State your purpose! Why are you influencing Tony Stark?"
"I'd be happy to, once you put the weapon away."
Tony chimed in, leaning casually against the Mark II chassis. "He's right, Agent. That tiny thing won't hurt him. He walked away from hundreds of terrorists armed with my missiles and machine guns. If you don't believe me, feel free to try a warning shot."
Stark's challenge, coupled with her own professional pride, proved too much. Natasha fired. Not a single shot, but a rapid burst, emptying the entire magazine at Su Yi's chest.
Su Yi felt the impact of the bullets, but his Level 4 Endurance and the subtle energy reinforcement of his latent powers held firm. The bullets deformed and dropped uselessly to the floor.
"I believe it now," Natasha stated, dropping the empty pistol. Her eyes were wide with genuine shock, her strategic mind calculating the utterly impossible resilience of her target.
The Black Widow's attempt at soft interrogation and infiltration has failed spectacularly, resulting in her accidental "kidnapping" to Stark's lab. The true scale of Su Yi's resilience is now known to a high-ranking S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.