"A class action lawsuit has been filed against our company in court....
"What a lying arsehole he is....
"Excuse me Ms Stark, but who are you talking about? - Murdoch asked interestedly, sitting across the table from Anita.
"Bella, don't mind me. I'm talking about my mercenary. He's been badly hurt recently, and before he's recovered properly, he's gone off again.
"Are you talking about August? - After hearing Stark answer in the affirmative, Bella thought for a moment and asked the following questions. - Did you sign a formal employment contract with him? May I see it?
"Do you want to make some extra money? - Anita smirked.
"No, I can try to solve your mercenary problem for free. Miss Stark, you're already paying me enough, I won't ask for more," Murdoch replied without any change in her face.
"All right, I'll send a copy of the original to your post office. See what you can do with that arsehole and let's take a break.
"As you wish, Miss Stark. I'll be off to lunch then.
Bella took her cane and left the room. Anita flashed her eyes angrily and pressed the player on her phone. A video from the villa's CCTV cameras started up. They clearly heard August's words and showed how he voluntarily climbed into the helicopter with the support of an unknown woman.
"That's all right, you little liar. I'll find a solution for you, - Anita put the phone on the table. - No man has ever been able to resist me. I guess it's time to be more proactive, or I won't be able to see anyone take him right out from under my nose.
...
"We're mates, aren't we? You're going to help me down from the chopper, aren't you? - Swordswoman didn't say anything to August. - I'll complain to your superiors.
"Shut up, all you know how to do is complain. I'll help you down from the helicopter, - the girl irritably folded her hands and put one foot on the other. - If it weren't for my sister's interest in you, I'd have finished you off a long time ago.
"I know, I know, I can feel this unreasonable hatred for me from you. It only makes it more interesting to threaten you.
"Mraaaaz," the girl exhaled and turned her face away.
The helicopter flew into New York Harbour. Hovering over it, the transport went into a descent. Augustus took hold of his crutches and, with Sword's support, climbed down to the ground.
At the edge of the wharf, near where the helicopter had landed, stood a lonely black-painted Mercedes E-class. A self-sufficient sedan with classic proportions, designed mainly for people who have a lot of money but have outgrown the parrot complexes of puberty. A reliable, dry, austere sedan with tinted armoured windows and expensive leather interior.
Leaning on Sword's shoulder and helping himself with crutches, August waddled to the Mercedes. The girl opened the back door of the car and said to the mercenary:
"Get in.
"I don't like this at all," the man said.
"Don't worry August, I called you just to talk, sit down, - Vanessa's snow-white face with a cigar in her mouth appeared from the opened door. - Maki you can go.
"Alright sister," Sword nodded her head respectfully and sat August down in the car and walked back to the helicopter.
Reaching across him, Kingpin closed the door on his side. There was no one else in the car besides them. The mercenary watched the departing chopper through the window with heavy thoughts in his head.
"Long time no see August, are you all right? - Vanessa shook the ash off her cigar. - How are your legs?
"You've got watchers at Villa Stark and you know exactly what state I'm in.
"Why do I get the feeling you're accusing me of something? I was just worried about my benefactor and wanted to make sure that he was receiving the highest level of treatment, - Fisk's left hand rested on August's knee. - I see the treatment is going well, when will you be able to get back on your feet?
"Vanessa, you are an adult, do you know the sense of tact? - August took the woman's hand off his knee. - This week I have to be back in the field.
"August, you don't have to talk to me like that, I don't like it," Fisk frowned for a moment, but then her face smoothed back. - It's good to hear that you're okay.
Kingpin didn't continue the conversation any further, engrossed in her cigar. August sat quietly in the car, wondering in his head what this woman wanted from him and why she was silent. Accidentally running his palm over the leather seat, the mercenary became fascinated by the interior of the Mercedes.
Vanessa was silently smoking and enjoying the man's company. With his appearance she felt some kind of relief inside her and relaxation. As if the fatigue of the last hard days had dissipated, she was pulled into sleep. She closed her eyes, succumbing to this fleeting sensation, and slowly leaned her head back against the seat. The unlit cigar dropped into the ashtray. Vanessa's breathing eased and became even.
After half an hour August got tired of looking aimlessly at the luxurious interior of the Mercedes and decided to continue the dialogue with Kingpin in order to deal with her and go back to the villa. But before he did, he looked at her to make eye contact with the girl.
"What? Vanessa? - came out of him. - Had she fallen asleep?
This was something the mercenary wasn't prepared for and didn't know exactly how he should proceed. If Kingpin had been Stark, he would have just woken her up, but Vanessa wasn't like Anita. She was a dangerous woman.
In talking to her, the mercenary felt oppressed. Fisk in no way specifically showed her superiority over him, but her words and movements spoke vividly of her. They were filled with power and strength. If she didn't like something, she would say it directly and from her lips these remarks sounded like a threat. A threat they were.
To offend Kingpin was to sign your own death warrant. Don't underestimate Fisk because she's an ordinary person and not endowed with any superpowers, only an idiot would do that. Kingpin's superpowers are money and connections.
If she doesn't like someone, Vanessa doesn't even have to send out her own punishment squads, just make one phone call and the person she doesn't like will be put on the federal wanted list. It's hard to be a superhero when feds from all over the country are after you, yes even your fellow heroes will open a manhunt for you. Life in the United States and the entire American continent will be impossible. The only way out is to escape to Africa, or Asia.
"Vanessa? - August patted the sleeping girl on the shoulder. His actions were the cause of the horrifying outcome. The pat on the shoulder shifted the centre of gravity of Vanessa's body and her head began to slowly slide to the left. Straight towards Augustus. Leaning against his shoulder, Fisk, under the gaze of the mercenary who had accepted her fate, slid down even lower, eventually resting her head on his lap. She literally laid on top of him, turning his lap into her own pillow. - Now I was faced with a question. Should I keep waking her up or not? What will her reaction be when she wakes up? Would she try to finish me off immediately or would she let me go first, only to make me a world criminal and a prime target for the FBI, Shield, and superheroes in a couple of days?
Not daring to wake the woman, August decided to adopt a wait-and-see attitude. The best option in his opinion. Maybe if Kingpin got a good night's sleep, she wouldn't be too angry when she woke up and would let him get away with it. If there was anything to get away with, it's not his fault! But you'll have to prove your innocence.
August spent several hours in this position until he felt a stirring from the occupant of his knees. Her fingers twitched a couple of times, then ruby eyes opened on her face.
"What are you doing? - Vanessa asked calmly, continuing to lie on August's lap without making any attempt to get up.
"Vanessa, you fell asleep and then slid down on top of me. I decided not to wake you," the mercenary said with a sigh. He was already tired of sitting in this car, and if he could walk, he would have tried to get out of here long ago.
"I see," Fisk closed her eyes. August's mouth opened involuntarily in surprise. Is she going to keep sleeping on his lap?!
"About the text you sent. You were talking about money and helping Stark, what did you mean by that? - the mercenary decided not to let the beauty sleep on his lap again. He had to go back, if Kingpin fell asleep again, there was no telling when she would wake up again.
"The money, I'll transfer it to any account you specify, it's payment for my rescue and partly for my silence. There's no need to try and refuse it. I don't like that and might consider it an insult," Vanessa said with her eyes closed. - About the silence. I guess you don't need to explain that what you saw me at the meatpacking plant is something no one can know? In exchange for my silence, I'll make it easy for Stark to sort out her problems through my sources, and she can take all the credit for taking down those brainless terrorists.
What's the point of this hush money anyway? As if anyone would believe that Fisk single-handedly came in with a team of punishers to smother terrorists and brutalise them. Obviously his knowledge of this will not be able to put any pressure on Kingpin.
"I agree to take the money and no one will know about the incident at the meat factory," August replied pro forma. - Will someone drive me back now?
"No, you're staying with me for now. Your knees are too comfortable.
A flash of further surprise from Augustus! Kingpin never opened her eyes during the entire conversation after waking up, continuing to keep them covered. Yeah she looks like she's messing around! The mercenary's mind was spinning. But be that as it may, two minutes later he felt the woman on his lap fall asleep again. As she slept, her face in the waterfall of silver hair seemed so peaceful and carefree. Now it would be impossible to tell that this pretty, almost doll-like face belonged to the most dangerous American gangster.
The work as a free pillow for Kingpin continued for several more hours. Then a taxi was called to the harbour and August returned to the villa, where he was met by Stark. An extremely embittered Stark. Listening to Anita, the mercenary even felt for a moment that in principle Vanessa's company in the car suited him better than Stark's current company.
...
Noise generated by shouting, a huge crowd of people clustered inside the designated room for the press conference. Behind the podium stood the red-haired multi-billionaire who had been at the centre of all the news headlines lately.
Journalists took turns asking Stark questions, and she answered them calmly and even with a form of irony. Everything was going well. There was nothing for the sensation-hungry journalists to latch onto.
Augustus stood backstage. His legs had fully recovered and he was, as Vanessa had told him, back on track. He was now doing his direct duty, making sure Stark was safe. The Shield agents standing aside from the mass of reporters made the mercenary a little uneasy and he glanced at them often.
"Don't worry, I've already dealt with the terrorists who carried out the attack in the centre of New York. As you already know, all the hostages they took have been rescued, - Anita waved her hand and a picture with pictures of different people appeared behind her. - This is a list of the people I rescued. All of them are safe now. At the moment the search for the people involved in this case is underway, the organisers of the terrorist attack will not escape punishment!
Stark's confession caused another storm in the media crowd. No one knew of her involvement in the meatpacking plant. According to the rescued hostages, the journalists only knew that August was involved.
Meanwhile, during the press conference, the trial was taking place. The date of the press conference was deliberately chosen for the day of the trial in order to leave the trial without much media publicity.
A group of people affected by the terrorist attack had filed a class action lawsuit against Stark Industries, demanding huge payments from the company. Bella Murdoch acted as a defendant from the company. She had been preparing for the trial for a long time and thought that the case would be very complicated.
Strange things started right during the trial when the plaintiff, the person who filed the lawsuit, did not show up at the courthouse. The trial was held without a prosecutor or any reporters, and Murdoch won it easily. The absence of the prosecutor and missing reporters alerted her. She had been in contact with the plaintiff before, and he had aroused many ambiguous emotions in Bella. A nasty enough man who'd decided to seize a twitchy opportunity to make some money. His disappearance seemed suspicious, but no one paid any attention to it, as if it was meant to be.
"Had Stark done something? - Murdoch asked herself as she walked out of the courthouse.
...
"I wouldn't expect anything less from that hypocritical little bitch! - Obadiah scolded and slapped the table, watching the press conference through the television. Stark's confession of involvement in the hostage rescue case would help her settle public opinion to the end.
"It didn't matter if she could get away with it or not. Her reputation is tarnished. We've only said hello to Anita so far, there's more to come," Killian said with a smile on her face. - The virus test was successful and we got rid of the defective goods. All the goals we set out to achieve have been fulfilled.
"Can't you be more respectful? Those people weren't consumer goods, they were honoured veterans of my private military company Anvil," a third girl entered the room. A tall brunette with make-up on her face.
"Russo, we weren't interested in your opinion," Obadiah snapped at her. - You should be thankful we decided to invite you at all.
"Yes, yes, I am immensely grateful for the honour," the brunette replied sarcastically, sitting down next to Killian. - So, when do you want the next batch of soldiers for experiments?
"This time we need mentally healthy soldiers," Audrey turned to the brunette. - Ten men.
"I see, ten mentally healthy people with any bodily injuries. Expect them at the end of the week," Rousseau stood up and waved goodbye.
"Are we sure we should work with her? She seems unreliable to me," Obadiah shared her opinion.
"Don't worry, Russo and the people behind her are not in favour of betraying us.
....
"Sarah, you are married, aren't you? - Kingpin distracted her assistant from her work.
"That's right, Mistress," the girl with the glasses answered without realising what Vanessa was getting at.
"When you are with your husband, don't you have a strange feeling of relaxation? Doesn't it make you drowsy and comfortable when you are in close contact with your husband?
"Yes ma'am, when I am very tired after work, I have a desire to be close to my husband. Relaxation and sleepiness, on the other hand, comes from feeling comfortable around the person you love. If you feel this way about someone, it means they are the perfect match for you.
"Interesting..." Vanessa mumbled thoughtfully, and then looked at the wall clock. She couldn't get that moment with August out of her mind, when she had fallen asleep next to him in the car and then found herself on his lap. When she woke up and realised the situation, her heart had started to beat wildly, and inside she had wanted to have August for herself right there in the car. To kidnap him and lock him up in her mansion so that no one would dare touch him but her. She'd managed to fight the urge, but she'd been on the verge of a breakdown.
At that moment in the car, August didn't even realise the danger he was in.
...
[System Report - 569325]
A creator qualified as a fallen god, now named Augustus, has made contact with a major key character in the 11562 universe.
Attempted universe influence on user!
The attempt has been repelled, defences are being set...
Successful!
Main key character of the universe, a search for a simplified term in the database is in progress... Success!
Success!
The main key character in the universe is the protagonist.
The protagonist is a being within whom an infinite amount of destiny energy is concentrated.
Goal definition is in progress...
Successful!
11562 Universe Protagonist Vanessa Fisk]
[System Report - 571682]
A creator qualified as a fallen god, now named Augustus, has awakened the energy of destiny in a being from universe 11562.
Targeting is in progress...
Successful!
Man who awakened the energy of destiny - Anita Stark ]
***
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