Tacit Cooperation, No Comment!

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Nick didn't flinch. He simply shrugged at Ross's outburst, replying coolly, "Sorry, that's classified. Internal S.H.I.E.L.D. business."

Ross's face flushed red with barely contained rage, his glare practically burning a hole through Nick. He looked like he was on the verge of exploding, his frustration boiling over as he barked, "Then how do you explain how he"—he jabbed a finger in my direction—"knew Tony Stark was kidnapped and put it in his comic before it even happened?"

Nick gave a casual shrug, still looking utterly unconcerned. "Like I said, internal S.H.I.E.L.D. business. No comment."

Ross's face twisted with fury. His bloodshot eyes and clenched fists made him look seconds away from losing it. "He knew Stark was in danger, but didn't do anything to stop it? Why didn't you act in advance?"

Nick was about to give Ross the same dismissive answer when I decided to step in. It felt like the perfect time to throw a little fuel on the fire. "I already told him," I said nonchalantly, "but he didn't believe me."

It wasn't a lie. I had tried to give Ross a heads-up, but of course, he wasn't buying it at the time. Now, my calm demeanor was probably making him rethink everything. His eyes locked on mine, and the desperation was clear in his voice.

"If you knew Stark was kidnapped, do you know if he's alive? And if so, where is he?"

The shift in Ross's attitude was almost immediate. All the bravado from before? Gone. His focus had narrowed to Stark. He didn't even seem to care about whether I was really with S.H.I.E.L.D. or not. Tony's fate was all that mattered now, and he was grasping for any chance to bring him back.

I gave him a steady nod. "Tony's alive. I know where he is. I'll reveal the location in the next issue of my Iron Man comic. All you've gotta do is follow the clues."

Ross's eyes went cold, narrowing as he stared me down. "Why the hell is all your intel hidden in comic books?"

I smirked, giving a casual shrug. "That's classified. Internal S.H.I.E.L.D. business. No comment."

Ross looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel. His hand twitched, and for a moment, I thought he might pull his gun on me and Nick right then and there. But instead, he just let out a frustrated growl and pointed at both of us.

"You… both of you… I'll buy the damn comic. And if I don't find Stark by following your clues, you better be ready for a court-martial. Let's go!" he shouted to his men, storming out of the room with his team in tow.

I watched him leave, shaking my head. Ross had walked in here thinking he was going to use me to find Stark. Instead, he got played in front of his own men. And worse, he knew there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. You didn't go toe-to-toe with S.H.I.E.L.D. without facing serious consequences. No matter how powerful the military thought it was, some battles just weren't worth fighting.

Nick and I exchanged glances after the door closed behind Ross. We shared a knowing look, both of us smirking. I had to give Nick credit—he'd played his part perfectly.

"Take a seat," I said, gesturing to the chair Ross had just vacated. "I know you didn't come here just to stick it to Ross. What do you want, Nick?"

Nick sat down but didn't answer my question directly. Instead, he leaned forward, folding his hands on the table. "Are you really sure you can track Tony's whereabouts?" he asked, his expression more serious now.

I grabbed the latest issue of my Iron Man comic from the table and waved it in the air. "Of course. Just like I know where to find the Captain," I replied with a smirk.

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