We arrived safely, which is good news. Let's not forget that we are in a world of heroes and villains, and avoiding their crossfire is already an impressive feat. Hello, Marvel's New York... I can't imagine how people actually live here. In the Marvel universe, this city is the true epicenter of disasters—and that's no exaggeration. Iron Man, Peter Parker, Daredevil, Charles Xavier with his school for the especially gifted, and many others call this place ho. And with them co their sworn enemies. Perhaps I won't list all of them—not today, or I'll ruin my mood.
In this respect, DC's New York is very different, and in a positive way. In the DC world, the chances of getting caught up in trouble in this city are much lower. That's mostly because DC's superheroes inhabit places like tropolis, Gotham, Star City, Central City, and so on—mostly fictional cities. But in Marvel, heroes have chosen Arica's biggest city as their ho, and now it's honestly nerve-wracking just to walk these streets. Still, things aren't all bad. The real headaches for this city are still to co. Just think of the Chitauri invasion. But let's not get ahead of ourselves.
"So, Sasha, I think a short tour of New York wouldn't hurt us," I turned to my companion. "Have you been here before?"
"Yes, I worked in this city for more than three years," Bordeaux answered.
"Then I'm counting on you. Lead the way!"
"You said you were going to et soone..."
"The eting is scheduled for tomorrow, so today we're going for a walk!" I raised my fist to the sky.
Don't be surprised by my enthusiasm. I've just arrived in another big city and my emotions are swirling! I love traveling and exploring new places. There's sothing genuinely calming about it... Before this, I'd only been to Midvale—a small town, not much to see there. But now, the adventurer in is waking up!
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Once we checked into the hotel, Sasha, now acting as my guide, gave a tour. We visited the famous Tis Square, saw the Statue of Liberty, walked the Brooklyn Bridge, and explored Central Park. All in all, I was satisfied: I saw new sights and spent the day with a beautiful bodyguard. What could be better? But eventually, it was ti to return to the hotel—I have an important eting tomorrow. Yet I can't shake the feeling that I left Gotham not just to find Captain Arica, but to see the world.
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[New York. Central Manhattan. Stark Tower]
"Wow, what a beautiful building," I whistled. If you rember, this is about to beco the Avengers' headquarters. It's such a strange pleasure, knowing sothing about the future. Wondering what I'm doing here? The truth is, my hologram glasses project is on hold because I need a new, powerful energy source that's also very compact. The only thing that cos to mind is the chemical elent "Baddasium" developed by Stark.
So today, I've co to see about securing "Baddasium" for my work. I believe it will help not only my project, but also the attempt to restore the Super Soldier serum. I'm sure Kavita and Pala could put it to good use, too.
We headed up to the upper floors of the skyscraper, where I was t by a slightly plump man in a black business suit.
"Alex Reath?" he extended his hand.
"Happy Hogan. Nice to et you."
"Nice to et you, too," I replied, shaking his hand. All these familiar faces—I didn't expect to et Stark Industries' head of security so soon, but I don't mind.
"This is my bodyguard, Sasha Bordeaux," I introduced Sasha.
"It'd be better if she stayed here. You'll talk to the director alone—I'll walk you there," Happy said, leaving no room for argunt.
"Okay," I agreed, leaving Sasha in the hall as I entered the CEO's office.
I paused at the door to read the naplate: Virginia Potts. For a second I hesitated, then went in. A slender, beautiful blonde stood up from behind her desk and approached . She wore a black dress that accentuated her figure. She had a welcoming smile, an appraising but not arrogant look, and an air of complete confidence.
"Hello, I'm the CEO of Stark Industries—Virginia Potts, but you can just call Pepper."
"Nice to et you, Miss Pepper. I'm Alex Reath—you can just call Alex."
After exchanging pleasantries, we sat down at the table.
"How can I help you, Alex? What brings you here?" she asked directly.
"Well, I won't beat around the bush... I need the chemical elent 'Baddasium'. As far as I know, Stark Industries is the only producer of this sample."
"That's true," Pepper confird. "But you're far from the only one interested in this developnt. Far from the only one."
"I understand. But I really need this elent," I pressed on. "Miss Pepper, is there really no way to make an exception?"
"You could wait until next year. Maybe then…"
"That's too long! I can't wait," I interrupted.
"Why the rush?" Pepper asked, surprised.
"Life is dangerous, Miss Potts. Who knows what might happen if we're always waiting around? I need this sample now—a lot depends on it."
"As I understand it, you're a rising dia star," Pepper observed. "You shouldn't have any ties to the scientific world."
"Not exactly. Besides everything else, I'm a ga developer—quite a good one—and a robotics engineer. For my new project to succeed, I need your help."
Pepper was silent briefly before she continued, "I share your passion for science. But this isn't up to . Only Anthony Stark can resolve your issue. It's better if you talk to him in person. He's out of town right now... I'll call you when he's back."
"Pepper, I'm back!" ca a lively voice from the hallway. In strode a middle-aged man wearing a trendy black tweed jacket with elbow patches. He regarded with a mixture of curiosity and reproach—an arrogance that not even his dark glasses could hide.
"That was awkward," Pepper sighed.
"Oh, I see you're not alone," said the new arrival—whose chest glowed like a neon sign, even under his jacket.
"Should I help you or not?" Lowering his glasses, he locked eyes with —black, intent, and searching, as if I had forgotten to pay him back for sothing. Still, I was face-to-face with Iron Man himself—a genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist: Tony Stark. Unreal! Another legendary Marvel figure t in person.
"Why so quiet? Are you my fan? Want an autograph?" Stark quipped, holding out a pen.
"No, thanks. I'll pass."
"What a pity," he replied, slumping his shoulders. "And who are you exactly?"
"Tony!" Potts raised her voice. "Not this again. Get a grip! This is Alex Reath," she pointed at , "the composer whose works you say you're obsessed with. Yet you didn't even know his na or what he looks like."
"You wrote that song?" Stark raised his tablet, playing "Human."
"Right..."
"Nice! I look forward to your next achievent," he said, patting on the shoulder.
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