October arrived with crisp autumn air and a sense of anticipation I couldn't quite shake.
The upstate trip with Natasha had been perfect—three days of hiking, talking, and just existing together without the weight of the world pressing down. We'd stayed at a small cabin near the Catskills, cooked meals together, and spent evenings by the fireplace discussing everything from philosophy to terrible action movies.
It was the most relaxed I'd ever seen her. No checking her phone every five minutes, no tension in her shoulders, no walls up. Just Natasha, unguarded and happy.
Coming back to the city felt like returning to reality, but at least it was a reality we faced together now.
"I have to go back to work tomorrow," she said the night we got back, curled up on my couch. "There's a situation developing that needs attention."
"Classified situation?"
"Very. But nothing immediately dangerous. Just... complicated." She played with my fingers absently. "I'll probably be busier the next few weeks. Some big projects moving forward."
I knew what she meant. The Avengers Initiative. SHIELD was ramping up, identifying candidates, preparing for bigger threats. Fury would be orchestrating pieces on his chess board.
"I understand. Do what you need to do. I'll be here."
"I know you will. That's what makes this easier." She kissed my cheek. "Oh, and Tony Stark is having a birthday party in a few weeks. Big, ostentatious thing. Fury wants someone there to keep an eye on him."
"Babysitting duty?"
"Something like that. Though knowing Tony, it'll be more like damage control." She paused. "Would you want to come? As my plus-one?"
I blinked. "To Tony Stark's birthday party?"
"It's not as glamorous as it sounds. Lot of rich people, lot of ego, lot of barely contained chaos. But you'd get to see that world up close. And I'd enjoy having you there."
"Then absolutely. When is it?"
"Three weeks. I'll get you clearance." She smiled. "Fair warning though—Tony's parties are legendary for all the wrong reasons. This one might get weird."
I remembered the Iron Man 2 birthday party scene. Tony getting drunk in the suit, Rhodey taking the Mark II, the fight that destroyed his house. Yeah, "weird" was probably an understatement.
"I can handle weird."
"We'll see about that."
The next few weeks fell into a new rhythm. Natasha was busier with work, but we made time when we could—dinners, movie nights, occasional training sessions where she'd critique my form and demonstrate techniques that made Sarah's teaching look basic.
"You're holding back," she said during one sparring session in my apartment's small home gym. "You're too careful about hurting me."
"Because you're my girlfriend?"
"Because you still see me as someone who needs protecting." She swept my legs effortlessly, putting me on my back. "I appreciate the instinct, but it's going to get you hurt in a real fight. Your opponents won't hold back. Neither should you."
"Point taken."
"Again. And this time, actually try to hit me."
I did. She still dominated the match, but I landed a few decent strikes that made her smile with approval.
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SKILL PROGRESSION
Practical Combat - Lv.4
Combat Effectiveness : +40% (passive) +60% (active mode)
CP Cost : 10 per minute (active)
Combat Prowess: 72 → 78/100
New Technique Unlocked:
Adaptive Fighting Style (adjust tactics mid-combat)
Note: Training with Natasha Romanoff provides accelerated growth. Her expertise is world-class, and you're learning from the best.
═══════════════════════════════════════
My investment portfolio continued growing too. I'd diversified into several sectors, and my liquid assets were approaching half a million dollars. Not wealthy by Manhattan standards, but comfortable and secure.
Financial Dashboard:
Total Assets : $487,340 Monthly Income : $15,000 (passive) Monthly Expenses : $4,000
Status: Financially independent
I'd also been thinking about the future more strategically. Tony's party was coming up, which meant the Iron Man 2 events were in motion. Justin Hammer would be involved, Ivan Vanko would attack, and SHIELD would be dealing with Tony's palladium poisoning issue.
I couldn't directly intervene in most of that—Tony's arc reactor problem required his own genius to solve, and Vanko was way beyond my combat capabilities. But maybe there were smaller ways to help.
Information. Resources. Being in the right place at the right time.
The week before the party, something unexpected happened.
I was at The Grindhouse, working on my laptop, when a familiar figure walked in.
Phil Coulson, looking as professionally pleasant as ever.
"Mr. Carter. Mind if I join you?"
"Agent Coulson. I'm starting to think you're stalking me."
"Just maintaining professional relationships." He sat down, placing a folder on the table. "I wanted to discuss something with you. A proposition, if you will."
"I'm listening."
"You've been dating Agent Romanoff for several months now. You've proven yourself discreet, capable, and trustworthy. You also have an unusual talent for being in the right place at the right time." He opened the folder, showing me what looked like a dossier. "We'd like to formalize your relationship with SHIELD."
"You want to recruit me?"
"Not as an agent, no. You don't have the background or training for that. But as a consultant. Someone we can call on for specific situations—crisis intervention, civilian liaison, information gathering. Paid position, flexible schedule, no obligation to accept assignments you're not comfortable with."
I leaned back, processing. This was unexpected. "Why me?"
"Because you've already proven valuable. The Central Park incident, your ability to stay calm under pressure, your connection to Agent Romanoff, your growing skill set." He smiled. "And because Director Fury believes in having useful people in his network. You're useful, Mr. Carter."
"What would this actually entail?"
"Background check, security clearance, occasional assignments when we need civilian expertise. Most of the time, you'd live your normal life. But when something comes up that suits your skill set, we'd reach out." He pulled out a contract. "Base retainer of five thousand per month, plus payment for completed assignments. Full medical coverage. Legal protection if you get into trouble while working for us."
It was tempting. The money wasn't the draw—I was doing fine financially. But the legitimacy, the access to information, the ability to actually help...
"Does Natasha know about this offer?"
"She suggested it, actually. Said you were the kind of person who'd want to help if given the opportunity, and that we should give you a way to do so safely."
That sounded like her. Practical, protective, and trusting me to make my own choices.
"Can I think about it?"
"Of course. Take a week. Let me know." He stood to leave, then paused. "Oh, and Mr. Carter? You'll be at Mr. Stark's party this weekend, yes?"
"As Natasha's plus-one, yeah."
"Good. Keep your eyes open. Tony's been... erratic lately. Agent Romanoff will be handling primary observation, but another perspective would be useful."
After he left, I stared at the contract for a long time.
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MAJOR OPPORTUNITY
SHIELD Consultant Position
Benefits:
Official SHIELD connection
Legal protection and resources
Access to information and technology
Monthly retainer + assignment pay
Ability to help on larger scale
Support Natasha's work directly
Risks:
Increased SHIELD scrutiny
Potential danger from assignments
Complicated loyalties if SHIELD's corruption emerges
Target for SHIELD's enemies
Note: Accepting this means officially entering the MCU's main storyline. You'll be connected to major events more directly. This is a significant decision.
Recommendation: Accept. The benefits outweigh risks, and you'll have insider warning when SHIELD falls to HYDRA. Use that knowledge to protect yourself and others.
═══════════════════════════════════════
That evening, I discussed it with Natasha over dinner at her apartment—another sign of trust, as she'd previously kept her living space separate.
"Coulson made you the offer," she said, not really a question.
"Yeah. You really suggested it?"
"I did. You want to help, Alex. I've seen it in how you train, how you prepare, how you watch the news looking for ways to make a difference. This gives you a legitimate way to do that without putting yourself in unnecessary danger."
"What if an assignment is dangerous?"
"Then you turn it down. That's the beauty of the consultant position—you have agency. They can't order you into a situation you're not prepared for." She took my hand. "But honestly? Most of what they'd use you for is exactly what you're good at. Talking people down, crisis management, civilian interface. The support role you wanted."
"You really think I should do this?"
"I think you should do what feels right to you. But yes, I think you'd be good at it. And selfishly, I like the idea of occasionally working with you instead of always keeping my work completely separate."
I thought about it for a moment longer, then nodded. "Okay. I'll accept."
She smiled. "Good. Welcome to the team, consultant."
The next day, I signed the contract and began the background check process. It would take a few weeks for full clearance, but Coulson fast-tracked a temporary badge for the Stark party.
"Consider it your first assignment," he said, handing me an ID. "Observe, report anything unusual, and try not to get drunk on Tony's dime."
"No promises on that last one."
The party was on Saturday night. Natasha picked me up in a sleek black dress that made my brain short-circuit.
"You clean up nice," I managed.
"You're staring."
"Can you blame me?"
She laughed, pulling me in for a kiss. "Come on, Carter. Let's go babysit a billionaire."
The drive to Malibu—SHIELD had arranged a private flight—gave us time to go over the situation.
"Tony's been acting erratic," Natasha explained. "More reckless than usual, making poor decisions, antagonizing people. Fury thinks something's wrong."
I knew what was wrong. Palladium poisoning from the arc reactor. But I couldn't just come out and say that without revealing knowledge I shouldn't have.
"Think it's stress from going public as Iron Man?"
"Maybe. Or something physical. Either way, tonight's party is probably going to be a disaster, and our job is to minimize the damage." She glanced at me. "Stay close to me, don't drink too much, and if things get out of hand, we leave. Got it?"
"Got it."
Stark's Malibu mansion was everything I expected—excessive, beautiful, and packed with people. Music pumped through high-end speakers, celebrities mingled with tech executives, and everywhere you looked, there was champagne and ego.
Tony himself was holding court in the center of it all, wearing his Iron Man suit with the helmet off, clearly already drunk.
"Oh boy," Natasha muttered. "He's wearing the suit. That's not good."
We wove through the crowd, Natasha keeping Tony in her peripheral vision while maintaining her cover as a Stark Industries employee. I noticed Pepper Potts looking stressed near the bar, and Rhodey in his military dress uniform, watching Tony with concern.
This was the birthday party scene. Which meant things were about to get very messy.
"Rhodey's going to take the Mark II," I said quietly to Natasha.
She looked at me sharply. "How do you know that?"
"Look at his face. He's done with Tony's behavior. And there's another suit in the workshop. If Tony keeps this up, Rhodey's going to take action."
"That's... actually good analysis." She studied Rhodey's body language, then nodded. "You're right. Damn. This is worse than Fury thought."
Tony was doing ridiculous things with his suit now—having a girl throw wine bottles in the air so he could blast them, showing off for the crowd, clearly spiraling.
"I should talk to him," I said.
"That's not the mission."
"The mission is to minimize damage. If I can talk him down before Rhodey intervenes, we prevent a bigger scene." I met her eyes. "Trust me?"
She considered for a moment, then nodded. "Five minutes. Then I pull you out."
I made my way through the crowd toward Tony. He was in the middle of another demonstration, repulsors charged, when I cleared my throat.
"Mr. Stark?"
He turned, eyes unfocused. "Who're you?"
"Alex Carter. I'm here with Natalie." I gestured to where Natasha was watching. "Can we talk? Just for a minute?"
"I'm kinda busy here, buddy."
"I can see that. You're also clearly dealing with something heavy. And before you destroy your house with drunk power armor antics, maybe someone who isn't invested in your public image should tell you—you look like shit."
That got his attention. He lowered the repulsors. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me. You're spiraling, Tony. Something's wrong—physically or emotionally or both—and instead of dealing with it, you're throwing a party in a weapon. That's not genius billionaire behavior. That's scared kid in a metal suit behavior."
His expression flickered—surprise, then anger, then something more vulnerable. "You don't know what you're talking about."
"Maybe not. But I know what self-destruction looks like. And whatever's eating at you, this isn't the answer." I kept my voice low, steady. "You've got people who care about you here. Pepper, Rhodey, even Happy. Instead of pushing them away with this display, maybe let them help."
"I don't need help. I'm fine."
"You're wearing a suit to your own birthday party and using it to blast wine bottles. That's not fine, Tony. That's a cry for help dressed up as arrogance."
═══════════════════════════════════════
[Smooth Talker - Active]
[Emotional Support - Active]
[Crisis Management - Active]
CP Cost: -45 total
Dialogue Success Rate: 71%
Tony Stark Status: Defensive but listening
Warning: Pushing too hard may backfire. He needs to feel understood, not judged.
═══════════════════════════════════════
Tony stared at me for a long moment. The crowd had quieted, sensing something significant happening.
"You've got some balls, kid. Coming to my party, drinking my champagne, and telling me I'm a mess."
"Not drinking the champagne, actually. Need to stay sharp in case things go sideways." I softened my tone. "Look, I'm nobody. Just a guy who happens to be good at reading people. And you're not as complicated as you think you are, Tony. You're scared. Something's going wrong, and you don't know how to fix it, and that terrifies you because you're supposed to be the guy who fixes everything."
His jaw tightened. For a moment, I thought he was going to blast me.
Then he deactivated the suit's weapons systems. "Everyone out. Party's over."
The crowd groaned but started filtering out, sensing the shift in mood. Pepper approached, looking relieved, while Rhodey moved closer, still wary.
Tony looked at me again. "You. And Natalie. My workshop. Now."
Natasha appeared at my side, her expression carefully neutral. "Mr. Stark—"
"I know who you really are, Agent Romanoff. Fury's not as subtle as he thinks." Tony's smile was bitter. "Workshop. Let's have a real conversation for once."
We followed him down to his workshop, passing the Mark II suit on the way. Rhodey stayed upstairs, presumably to handle the remaining guests.
Once the doors closed, Tony slumped against a workbench, suddenly looking exhausted. "Okay. You want the truth? I'm dying. The thing keeping me alive is also killing me. Palladium poisoning from the arc reactor. I've been looking for alternatives for months, and I've got nothing. So yeah, I'm spiraling. Because I'm watching my blood toxicity levels climb every day, and I don't know how to stop it."
Natasha's expression shifted to genuine concern. "Tony—"
"And before SHIELD swoops in with their big solutions, I've already tried everything. Every element I know, every configuration. Nothing works like palladium, and palladium is killing me. So if your boyfriend here has some magical insight, I'm all ears."
I took a calculated risk. "Have you tried creating a new element?"
Tony blinked. "What?"
"The arc reactor is based on your father's work, right? Howard Stark's design. Maybe the solution isn't finding an existing element that works. Maybe it's creating one that doesn't exist yet."
"That's... that's actually not completely stupid." Tony rubbed his face. "But even if that's possible, I'd need a model, something to work from. And my dad didn't exactly leave me blueprints for fictional elements."
"Maybe he did, and you just haven't found them yet. Your dad was supposedly working on something big, right? Something he never finished?"
Natasha was watching me with sharp, knowing eyes. She realized I knew more than I should, but she didn't call me out.
Tony's expression shifted, becoming more thoughtful. "Hypothetically, if someone had access to my dad's old research—not SHIELD, because Fury's been holding out on me—where would they look?"
"I'd start with anything he left for you specifically. Legacy projects, old prototypes, things meant for your eyes only."
"The Stark Expo model," Tony said suddenly. "At the office. He built this huge model of the future... I always thought it was just ego, but what if it was a message?"
"Worth investigating," I agreed.
Tony looked at me with new respect. "You're either really smart or really lucky with guesses, Carter."
"Little bit of both."
"Well, congrats. You just potentially saved my life with one drunken conversation." He turned to Natasha. "Tell Fury I'm working on the problem. And that if he sends Agent Romanoff to babysit me again, I'll figure out her real mission within five minutes."
"He already knows," Natasha said dryly. "That's why he picked me. You were supposed to figure it out eventually."
"Fury's a bastard."
"That's why he's director."
Tony laughed despite himself, then looked at both of us seriously. "Tonight didn't happen. The party, the meltdown, this conversation—none of it goes in your report."
"We were never here," Natasha agreed.
As we left the mansion, Natasha grabbed my arm. "Alex. How did you know about the element? About his father's research?"
"I didn't know. I guessed." Not entirely a lie. "Tony's problems with the reactor are obvious if you know what to look for. And creative solutions to impossible problems usually involve thinking outside the box. New element made sense."
She studied me for a long moment. "You're full of surprises, Carter."
"Is that a problem?"
"No. Just... interesting." She kissed my cheek. "You did good tonight. Potentially averted a disaster, gave Tony a direction to work in, and proved you can handle weird situations. Fury will be pleased."
"Even though I wasn't supposed to intervene?"
"Especially because you weren't supposed to intervene. Initiative is valuable." She smiled. "Welcome to SHIELD consulting, Alex. You just passed your first real test."