Part 2: Data and Silence
Location: Avengers Compound, Late Morning
Time: The same day after Riven's return from Xavier's School
The elevator doors parted with a soft chime, revealing Riven as he stepped into the main level of the Avengers Compound. The polished floor reflected the afternoon light bleeding through tall windows. The place felt quieter than usual. No bustling technicians. No clanking suits or booming voices.
Just Natasha.
She sat cross-legged in a chair near the security monitors, a small bowl of snacks resting beside her. She didn't look up at first—until the silence of his steps triggered her instincts.
"Long time no see," she said without turning. "You've been busy."
Riven walked slowly, hands in his pockets, black t-shirt fitting snug across his frame. "Nice to see you too."
She finally looked over. "The others are on a mission. Some mess in Cairo. But if you're looking for Tony, he's in the lab."
"I figured," Riven said. A pause. "You holding up?"
She gave a half-smile. "I should be asking you that."
He didn't answer. Just nodded once, then made his way toward the lower levels.
Tony Stark was hunched over a console in his private lab, holographic screens shifting around him. Classical music played softly from an overhead speaker. He didn't look up.
"You've got a presence, you know," Tony said as the door closed behind Riven. "Could've sworn I felt a disturbance in the Force."
Riven stepped forward, pulled a slim black drive from his jacket, and set it on the workbench beside a can of energy drink. "Information. On Hydra. Experimentation logs. Footage. Notes."
Tony finally turned. His expression shifted the moment he saw Riven's face. "You alright?"
"Still breathing," Riven replied.
Tony picked up the drive and inserted it into a console. Streams of encrypted data blinked to life. He scanned a few lines, his features tightening. "You said this was from a facility?"
"More than one. Some were recent. Others… archived. The kid they experimented on—he's at Xavier's now. Stable. For now."
Tony let out a quiet breath, rubbing his eyes. "Hell."
He looked up. "You leaving again?"
"Not yet. I'll stay a little while. Rest. Sort through what comes next."
Tony nodded, as if that answer both satisfied and concerned him. "Let me know if you need anything. Gear, upgrades… you name it."
Riven said nothing, only nodded once and turned back toward the door.
As it slid shut behind him, Tony stared at the drive, the faint blue glow illuminating his fingers. Whatever Riven had brought back—it wasn't just data. It was a piece of the war still being fought in the shadows.