"Your ability's impressive, no doubt, but are you just going to hide behind it like a coward? Don't you have any real offensive moves?" Tony taunted, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he realized his attacks were powerless against Alex, his confidence in his armor's defenses still unshaken despite the earlier setbacks.
Clad in his state-of-the-art steel suit, Tony believed he could weather any counterattack, his ego buoyed by the armor's proven resilience, even as he struggled to land a single blow on his elusive opponent.
"Really?" Alex replied, raising an eyebrow with a hint of amusement, his hand extending toward Tony as he slowly clenched his open palm into a fist, his eyes gleaming with quiet confidence.
Crack, crack, crack… The air seemed to hum as Tony's steel armor began to groan under an unseen force, its sleek surface twisting and buckling as if squeezed by an invisible giant, the metal contorting in ways that defied its engineered strength.
For others, Tony's armor was an impenetrable shield, a testament to his genius, but against Alex's metal manipulation, it became a cage, one that Alex could reshape at will, turning Tony's greatest asset into a liability that threatened to crush him within its own frame.
"Oh, hold on a second!" Tony blurted, his voice tinged with urgency as Jarvis's alerts blared in his helmet, warning of the armor's collapsing integrity, prompting him to call a halt to Alex's relentless assault.
"What's the deal with your power? Some kind of telekinesis?" Tony asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and grudging respect as Alex paused his ability, the armor's deformation halting, sparing Tony from further embarrassment in front of his own audience.
"It's metal control," Alex explained simply, his voice calm but firm, cutting through Tony's assumptions with a clarity that underscored the precise nature of his power.
Tony's expression soured at the revelation, his earlier bravado fading as he realized the implications—telekinesis might have been a universal threat, but metal control was a direct counter to his armor, a targeted restraint that left him uniquely vulnerable.
"Controlling metal, not just moving it—now that's something," Phil remarked from the sidelines, his understanding of Alex's ability deepening as he watched the brief but decisive clash, marveling at how effortlessly Alex had turned Tony's technology against him.
Among those present, Pepper knew Tony best, and though he masked his frustration with a cool exterior, she could sense the blow to his pride, having been so thoroughly outmaneuvered by Alex's simple yet devastating moves, a rare humbling for the billionaire genius.
With a warm smile, Pepper stepped in to shift the focus, her voice smooth as she addressed Phil. "So, Phil, what brings you here tonight? Must be something important to interrupt us like this."
"It's critical, actually. It's about something called the Cosmic Cube," Phil replied, his face growing serious as he pulled out a tablet, ready to brief Tony and Pepper on the urgent matter at hand, his tone shifting to the gravity of SHIELD's mission.
"No point pitching this to me—I'm arrogant, unsociable, and stubborn as a mule, hardly the poster child for your Avengers crew, or what, your little superhero club?" Tony declared, his cynical facade masking a deeper reluctance as he cut Phil off with a dismissive wave, his tone sharp with defiance.
Despite his flippant demeanor, Tony's words carried the sting of past judgments, echoing the harsh critiques from Fury and Black Widow during SHIELD's evaluation of him, grudges he clearly hadn't let go of even now.
Pepper, who knew her boyfriend and boss better than anyone, stepped in smoothly, her voice calm but firm. "Phil, you and Alex head back—Tony's got some late-night work to tackle."
Nodding, Phil accepted Pepper's assurance as a done deal, knowing SHIELD had pressing matters to attend to, and with a glance at Alex, the two prepared to leave Stark Tower, their mission seemingly concluded.
"Wait a second…" Tony's voice cut through the moment, halting their departure as he pointed to the warped scars marring his armor, his gaze locking onto Alex. "You trashed my suit—shouldn't you be covering the damages?"
"How much?" Phil asked, caught off guard by Tony's sudden demand, his brow furrowing as he braced for the answer.
"One hundred million dollars," Tony replied coolly, his expression unruffled, as if the astronomical figure were a mere trifle in his world of billionaire excess.
Phil's composure faltered, his eyes widening at the exorbitant sum—surely a bit of armor damage didn't justify such a price tag, the demand bordering on absurdity in its extravagance.
"Hey, this isn't some cheap scrap metal—the materials in my suit are top-tier, and a hundred million's practically a discount," Tony shot back, sensing Phil's disbelief. "If I sold a single armor for ten billion, there'd be a line of buyers fighting for it."
Given Tony's near-monopoly on the cutting-edge technology of his suits, his argument was hard to counter, leaving Phil with little to say as he shot Alex a helpless, apologetic look.
"Am I being hung out to dry here?" Alex muttered, his mouth twitching as Phil's expression seemed to shift the burden squarely onto him, the situation teetering on the edge of farce.
"Got the cash or not? No money, no problem—you can stay and work off the debt," Tony said, his gaze flicking over Alex with a mix of challenge and curiosity.
"Alright, Alex, you stay and assist. I'll handle things back at the bureau," Phil said with a nod, his quick agreement feeling like a playful betrayal as he turned to leave, leaving Alex to face Tony alone.
"Tony, don't slack off," Pepper teased, planting a light kiss on his cheek before nodding to Alex with a warm smile, then heading off to arrange her private plane, her departure graceful and assured.
Alex approached the damaged armor standing nearby, his fingers gently tracing the twisted, scarred metal, his touch deliberate as he focused his metal-manipulation ability.
With a subtle gesture, the warped sections began to smooth out, the steel reshaping itself under his control, restoring the armor's sleek form as if the damage had never occurred.
Turning to Tony, Alex's voice was calm but pointed. "Alright, let's cut to the chase—why use this compensation excuse to keep me here? What's your real angle?"
Alex wasn't naive—he could tell Tony had fabricated the armor compensation demand as a clever pretext to keep him at Stark Tower, a move driven by motives that sparkled with intrigue beneath the billionaire's casual demeanor.
Phil, ever the astute observer, caught the same undercurrent in Tony's ploy but chose discretion over confrontation, offering a subtle nod to grant the two men space to unravel their dynamic, before slipping away with the tact of a seasoned diplomat.
"It's nothing major, just curious about what SHIELD's up to these days," Tony said, his voice dripping with nonchalance as he poured a glass of rich, amber wine for himself and handed another to Alex, embodying the cynical playboy even as global crises loomed, his priorities seemingly anchored in the moment.
"Are you trying to squeeze SHIELD intel out of me?" Alex shot back, accepting the glass and taking a slow sip, the wine's warmth contrasting with his mild annoyance as he studied Tony's calculated ease, sensing a deeper game at play.
Tony shrugged, his trademark smirk flashing across his face. "So, you gonna dish on SHIELD or keep me guessing?"
"Sorry, but if you think I'm some SHIELD insider spilling secrets, you're mistaken—I've been with them for barely a few days and know next to nothing myself," Alex replied, shaking his head with blunt honesty, his tone leaving no room for Tony to press further.
"Oh?" Tony's eyes gleamed with sudden interest, his posture shifting as he leaned closer. "Only a few days at SHIELD? Don't you get bored surrounded by those grim-faced agents—men and women alike, all so deadly serious? I'd go stir-crazy in that place."
"So, your real target's me, isn't it?" Alex said, the pieces clicking into place, realizing Tony's questions about SHIELD were a feint to probe his loyalty and feelings toward the agency, a sly maneuver to lure him into Stark's orbit.
"Why not join Stark Industries? The benefits crush SHIELD's, and the work's a walk in the park," Tony offered boldly, dropping the charade and extending a tempting proposal, his confidence radiating as he pitched a life of ease and luxury.
"We just met, and you're already trying to poach me? Either I'm a bigger deal than I thought, or you're just overly eager for new pals," Alex teased, widening his eyes in mock horror as he clutched his jacket and stepped back, his playful jab a retort to Tony's earlier handshake snub .
Tony's face darkened briefly, catching the dig as payback for his earlier slight, but he brushed it off, his quick wit recognizing Alex's banter as a worthy counter.
"Fair point—first meetings don't seal the deal. Let's spend more time together and see where it goes," Tony said, clapping his hands and instructing Jarvis to organize a grand party at Stark Tower that very night, his flair for extravagance taking center stage.
With the snap of his fingers and the power of his wealth, staff swarmed the penthouse, transforming it into a dazzling party venue aglow with vibrant neon lights, pulsating with hot music, and brimming with an eclectic crowd of glamorous guests.
Soon, a parade of stunning women filled the scene—fiery vixens with bold confidence, sweet and innocent charmers, and poised, regal queens—each style more captivating than the last, their laughter and dance igniting the air with electric energy.
For Tony, orchestrating such a lavish affair was as effortless as breathing, and true to his playboy nature, he dove into the revelry, mingling with guests and basking in the adulation, his charisma lighting up the room like a supernova.
Alex, who had lived with disciplined restraint for years across dimensions, found the party's infectious chaos overwhelming, the allure of the vibrant women and the thrum of the music unraveling his usual composure as he joined the festivities with abandon.
After a night of unrestrained revelry, Alex awoke the next morning in a plush guest suite, gently easing a young woman's arm from his chest and shifting a slender leg draped over him, chuckling softly as he glanced at the sleeping figures around him, amused by the whirlwind of the previous night.
What was going on? Their first meeting, and Tony had dragged him into a night of wild indulgence—hadn't he settled down with Pepper? With SHIELD in a frenzy over the Cosmic Cube, how could they be partying like this?
Shaking his head at the absurdity, Alex tidied himself up and stepped out of the room.