The Man Who Didn't Know
Obadiah Stane was furious.
The attempt had failed.
Veronica Stark was still alive.
He paced his office, jaw clenched, anger boiling over into something reckless.
"She should've been dead," he snarled.
He didn't know why the accident failed.
He didn't know who intervened.
And worse—
He didn't know what he had angered.
Obadiah made a decision.
"Send a team," he ordered coldly.
"No mistakes this time."
Five Days of Silence
The assassin team moved quietly.
Professionals.
Experienced.
Confident.
And then—
Nothing.
Five days passed.
No confirmation.
No report.
No failure notice.
Just silence.
Obadiah felt uneasy—but dismissed it.
They would return.
They always did.
They never did.
What They Faced
In the shadows—
The team learned fear.
Real fear.
Not gunfire.
Not explosions.
Something watching.
Something waiting.
They were hunted.
One by one.
By nightmares given form.
They died without ever understanding
who they had crossed.
Or why the darkness felt alive.
Their final realization came too late—
They had threatened something that did not forgive.
Three Months Later
The news broke across every channel.
TONY STARK ALIVE.
RETURNING TO AMERICA.
Veronica stared at the screen.
Then laughed.
Then cried.
Her hands shook as she stood and ran straight to Alex's office.
"He's alive," she said breathlessly.
"My brother—he's alive."
She hugged him tightly.
Alex wrapped his arms around her.
Safe.
Steady.
Veronica buried her face against his chest.
"…Thank you," she whispered.
Alex kissed her forehead gently.
She froze.
Her face turned bright red.
"…Stay," she said softly. "Like this."
Alex nodded.
They stayed that way for a moment longer.
Until she finally pulled back—still blushing—and left the office, smiling through tears.
A Quiet Jealousy
Jennifer had seen it.
She stood frozen outside the door.
Her chest felt tight.
She didn't like that feeling.
She turned—
And nearly walked into Alex.
He looked at her.
Then smiled knowingly.
Without a word, he pulled her into a gentle hug.
"Don't be jealous, Jenny," he said softly.
Her breath caught.
"…You—don't call me that."
Her face burned.
But she didn't pull away.
She stayed there for a moment—longer than she meant to.
Then stepped back.
"…I should get back to work."
She left quickly.
Heart racing.
Alex watched her go.
And somewhere deep in the universe—
The Phoenix Monarch's anger finally began to cool.