Chapter Five: Game Of Deception
Tony drummed his fingers on the metal table, the
rhythmic tapping echoing in the empty space of the abandoned black site. He
reached for a folder containing confidential information, only to have it
swiftly snatched away by Fury.
"That one's not meant for you," he stated
bluntly, his tone brooking no argument as he smacked a thick manila folder
across the table.
Tony caught it deftly, flipping it open to reveal a
stack of densely printed pages. "Is the cloak and dagger absolutely
necessary?"
"Since I've been serving everyone NDAs this
week, yes."
As Tony’s eyes scanned the document, his brow
furrowed deeper with each line.
“Blah, blah, blah... privy to the abovementioned
agreement. Blah, blah, blah... failure to comply." He exhaled sharply
through his nose, looking up at Fury with narrowed eyes. "Are these people
serious? It's a bit much, don't you think?"
Fury’s face remained impassive.
Tony’s finger jabbed at a paragraph near the bottom.
"I mean, look at this… an entire clause in the even Cap and I have another
disagreement? Come one!”
"It's non-negotiable," Fury replied
coolly.
Tony’s eyes darted across the page, suddenly locking
onto one word that made his breath catch. "Wait, this can't be right.
Dissolution of... What do they mean?" His head snapped up, brow furrowed
in confusion and alarm.
Fury met his gaze, his face a study in stony
impassivity. As he crossed her arms, a flicker of exasperation passed through his
eyes, there and gone in an instant.
"Oh, this can't be right. They wouldn't dare.
Surely. Is this what you want, Nick? We're supposed to be on
the same side here.” Tony's annoyance at the powers-that-be was clear, his
frustration bubbling over as he struggled to come to terms with the
implications of the NDA.
Fury took a long, dramatic pause, his expression
unreadable as he sauntered around the desk and perched himself on the edge. His
voice dropped to a low, menacing whisper that sent a chill down Tony’s spine.
"I am still having to deal with the aftermath
of your little tiff with Rogers. So you will sign this NDA and anything else I
place in front of you," he stated firmly, his gaze unwavering as he met
Tony's eyes.
The change in Tony was immediate. The defiance
drained from his posture, replaced by a rigid formality. He rose to his feet in
one fluid motion, straightening his t-shirt with near-trembling fingers.
"Yes, sir," he said, voice suddenly
hoarse. "Consider it done. I’ll have it ready for you by tomorrow… You’ll
understand if I have my people skim through it, right?”
But just as Tony prepared to leave, he turned on his
heel, offering Fury some food for thought. "One more thing... Have you
considered Sarah in all this? Because if she ever finds out... It'll kill her,
Nick."
Fury gave Tony a look that clearly conveyed his
disbelief. Was this the same man who, just a few days ago, wanted nothing to do
with Sarah Carter?
"…And I'm sure that's not what you want for her,”
he pressed on. “God knows the poor girl’s been through enough."
Curious at Tony's sudden affection for Sarah, Fury's
expression softened slightly, his gaze turning thoughtful. "I know,"
he admitted quietly. "Of course, I've considered the feelings of my own
godchild... But she's strong. She'll get through this."
The sun blazed down upstate, its rays glinting off
the infinity pool. Perfect weather for camping outside in the hopes of seeing
your favourite actress. But even the picture-perfect weather couldn't shake the
cloud of tension hanging over the Avengers Compound.
Nat leaned against the balcony railing, observing
the scene below. "Looks like the Sarah-o-holics are finally giving
up," she quipped, gesturing to the dwindling crowd. A few die-hard fans
lingered, clutching 'We Love You Sarah!' posters that had seen better days.
Tony’s laugh was more of a grunt. "Yeah, right.
The second Her Royal Hollywoodness so much as sneezes, they'll be back like
seagulls on a dropped ice cream cone."
Nat’s stomach churned. If only they knew the truth.
The words bubbled up before she could stop them. "This is all kinds of
messed up, Tony."
He whipped around, his eyes narrowing. "Hang on,
Romanoff. What exactly do you know?"
"Me? Nothing! What do you know?" she
countered, her expression carefully neutral as she deflected Tony's probing
gaze, unwilling to betray Steve's trust.
Tony, too exhausted to maintain any pretence, let
out a weary sigh as he turned his gaze back to the property below, his
expression pensive. "Enough to know that when this house of cards comes
tumbling down, there will be casualties. And we can't do a damn thing
about it."
Natasha regarded Tony with a look of concern, her
heart clenched with the burden of carrying Steve's secret and the precarious
future of the Avengers. As they stood side by side on the balcony, they
couldn't help but quietly wonder whether they would ever find a way to escape
this tangled web of deception.
Later that evening, Steve made his way from the
hangar to the back entrance, his mind preoccupied with thoughts of the day's
events. But his musings were abruptly interrupted when he stumbled upon an
annoyingly tenacious journalist lying in wait.
"Captain Rogers! Please, if I could have a
moment of your time?" came the insistent voice of Christine Everhart, her
presence like a thorn in Steve's side as he paused in his tracks, his
expression wary.
Steve straightened his posture, fixing Christine
with a stern look as he towered over her. "Miss Everhart, I've watched you
stalk us for years after Tony broke up with you. Have a little dignity and
leave us be.”
But Christine, ever persistent, narrowed her eyes
and squared her shoulders, refusing to be deterred. "Tony did not break up
with me. It was mutual.”
"Doesn't mean you aren't thoroughly unwelcome
here.”
Undeterred by Steve's rebuke, Christine plastered a saccharine
smile on her face and batted her eyelashes as she tried to smooth over the
tension between them. "Look, we're getting off on the wrong foot here.
This was not my intention."
"What is your intention
exactly?" Steve enquired, attempting to maintain a façade of civility,
knowing full well that Christine Everhart was not to be underestimated.
Unbeknownst to them both, Sarah stepped off the
elevator and made her way toward the raised voices, her curiosity piqued by the
heated exchange.
"All I want is a statement," Christine
answered Steve's question, her voice oozing with faux innocence. "Your
thoughts on Miss Carter's return."
Having touched on a sensitive topic, Steve's temper
flared, and he lashed out with a ferocity that startled Sarah. "You know
what? You people make me sick!"
Sarah stood just out of sight, silent at the
threshold as she watched Steve tear into Christine, her heart skipping a beat
at the harshness of his words for the sake of her honour. She felt a surge of
gratitude toward him, even if she knew it would only fuel the fire of
speculation surrounding her return.
"What, you think Sarah's private life is
nothing but entertainment? A ticket to get ahead in your career?" Steve's
voice boomed, his anger boiling over as he confronted Christine.
Christine, more than satisfied that she had finally
elicited a reaction from him, grinned smugly in response. "My, my, aren't
we passionate?" she remarked, her tone dripping with condescension.
"Sure you're not marrying the wrong Carter?"
In an instant, Steve's demeanour shifted, his
expression turning dangerously serious as he levelled a warning at the
journalist. "I may be Captain America, Miss Everhart, but if you don't
stay away from Sarah and drop this story, I’ll see to it personally that you
never write another article in this town again.”
"I'm sorry, was that a threat?" Christine
retorted, her bravado faltering slightly in the face of Steve's unwavering
resolve.
"Heed my words or see for yourself," he answered,
his voice quiet but filled with an intensity that would instil fear in most
journalists.
"Wow. All this drama for Sarah Carter..."
As Christine turned to leave, Sarah watched from the
sidelines, her heart swelling with admiration for Steve's steadfast loyalty and
protection. And in that moment, her heart thawed, feeling renewed gratitude for
the friend who had always stood by her side, even when her own flesh and blood
wouldn’t.
Watch Episode 5 Here:
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