CH-13. Natasha

A huge thanks to Howellsy, Copinsa, david lagos, Jack M, Haralds Martinsons, Surge1301, Jose Newcomb, Kal Odinson, Darth Bane, Luck George, Jesper Taus and acce Pederson for supporting me on Patreon.

Check out my patreon to read 30+ advance chapters and sexy female characters illustrations.

Patreon: patreon.com/NovelReader440

__________

Nick Fury was troubled by the Winter Soldier's unknown origins and the force that had trained him.

'Tony's situation can't be ignored either.' Fury thought, "He managed to escape from a highly secure kidnapping and now knows that Howard was a member of S.H.I.E.L.D. He even suspects the truth behind his parents' deaths. It seems like someone has been feeding him information."

With years of experience, Fury sensed something bigger behind the scenes. Tony Stark's rescue and his newfound knowledge couldn't be a coincidence. Someone was definitely pulling the strings.

"Coulson is capable." Fury mused, "But Natasha is more suited for this task." He decided to send his top agent, Natasha, to investigate Tony Stark further.

---

Tony had secluded himself in his workshop, working tirelessly on his armor. He didn't seem too concerned about Obadiah or the board of Stark Industries. In fact, while Tony was hiding away, the board was growing restless.

Shutting down the weapons division was like killing their golden goose, and they were furious. Obadiah, the smooth-talking interim CEO, stepped in to try and calm them down, but it only stirred the pot further.

He secretly hoped they would remove Tony from his CEO position so that he could seize full control of Stark Industries.

Meanwhile, the Ten Rings gang made a major discovery—Tony's armor remnants. As soon as Obadiah heard the news, he swooped in and claimed the remains and design blueprints. Ecstatic, Obadiah rallied a team of scientists to reverse-engineer the armor.

---

Ten days later, Natasha returned to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. Nick Fury was waiting in his office for his most trusted agent.

Natasha knocked on the door, then entered upon hearing Fury's gruff voice granting her permission.

"What's the situation, boss? Why the rush to get me back?" She asked.

Fury placed a file in front of her, "This mission is for you."

Natasha opened the file, skimming over the contents, "Tony Stark? The billionaire playboy?"

She smirked, "I've dealt with playboys before."

Fury, serious as ever, continued, "Tony isn't the key issue here. What's concerning is that someone is manipulating him from behind the scenes."

Natasha listened intently as Fury laid out the details, filling her in on what they knew so far. As an intelligence officer, Natasha's sharp mind and interrogation skills were her greatest assets. She knew how to extract information, as she had once done with Loki when he had been deliberately captured in the movie.

"Winter Soldier… He's the one responsible for Howard and Maria Stark's deaths?"

The Natasha in future had an encounter with the Winter Soldier, a deadly operative who fought like a machine. She had barely survived their clash, escaping with a scar as a reminder of how close she had come to death.

"I'll visit Stark tomorrow." Natasha said, "And see what I can find out."

Natasha also planned to use Tony's assistant, Pepper Potts, as a possible entry point for gaining information.

The next day, Natasha contacted Pepper, revealing her identity as a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. She arranged a meeting at Tony's villa, knowing that Tony would have to make time for her.

Tony was holed up in his basement, making significant progress on the new Ark Reactor and Mark II armor. When he heard that someone from S.H.I.E.L.D. was coming, he reluctantly took a break to meet them.

Natasha arrived, not in formal attire like Coulson, but dressed casually—her beauty captivating anyone who laid eyes on her. When Tony entered the living room and saw Natasha, his eyes lit up, momentarily forgetting Coulson was even there.

"Are you an agent?" Tony asked, intrigued, "Why would someone as beautiful as you want to be in this line of work?"

Natasha smiled, "Some people have choices, Tony. Others don't."

After a moment, she continued, "This is the information you requested. We've shown you our cards—now it's your turn. How did you come to know about these secrets?"

Tony, still trying to be clever, responded, "I'm a genius. It's not that hard to figure out."

Natasha's expression remained calm. "You're a genius, but that doesn't mean the person feeding you this information doesn't have ulterior motives. You should be cautious, Tony."

She pressed further, "S.H.I.E.L.D. was founded by your father, and he had a high position within the organization. We've investigated your parents' deaths for years. We kept the truth from you for your own safety."

Tony's anger flared, "For my safety? You hid the truth from me? That's not protecting me—that's lying to me!"

Seeing Stark emotionally stirred, Natasha decided it was the perfect time to gather more intel, "You're right. But even if you know the truth now, what can you do?"

"Do you know who the real killer is? S.H.I.E.L.D. has been investigating for years without results. Do you think you can catch him on your own?"

Tony stared at the file in front of him, the name Winter Soldier glaring back at him. His expression darkened.

"You couldn't catch him because you're incompetent." Tony snapped, "But I will, because I'm Tony Stark."

With that, Tony stormed off to his lab, leaving Pepper looking anxious. Natasha calmly observed everything, gathering her things.

"I think it's time for me to leave." She said quietly to Pepper.

Pepper, struggling between her loyalty to Tony and the looming danger he faced, was torn.

"Ms. Potts." Natasha said softly, sensing Pepper's internal conflict, "You've been by Tony's side for so long. You don't want to see him get hurt, do you?"

Pepper hesitated. Tony had sworn her to secrecy, but Natasha's words weighed heavily on her mind.

Before leaving, Natasha added, "You're the only one who can help Tony now. Without you, he'll only spiral deeper into danger."

After a long moment, Pepper finally caved, "His name is Jaxon." She confessed, "Here's the information you need."

---

Later that day, Jaxon was heading home when he noticed a car pulled over with a flat tire. As he approached, the car almost grazed him, but he nimbly dodged out of the way.

To his surprise, a stunning woman stepped out of the car—it was Natasha.

"Oh my God!" Natasha exclaimed, "Are you okay?"

Jaxon waved her off, "I'm fine. Looks like you've got some car trouble though."

Natasha sighed, "Yeah, flat tire. I was just about to call for a tow."

Jaxon smiled, "Why don't you wait at my house? My house is right here. We could have a coffee while you wait."