Tony Stark was, in the end, still Tony Stark. Even if he was stewing in jealousy, there was no way he would lock himself in the basement forever. When an unavoidably important charity gala—packed with top tech magnates and politicians—landed on his schedule, he decided to bring Pepper Potts along, and, incidentally, drag the two "moldy shut-ins" at home, Tsuda Takao and Skadi, out to "see the world" a little.
When Skadi appeared at the gala in a custom-tailored sea-blue off-shoulder evening gown, time seemed to halt.
The gown perfectly traced the tall, athletic, power-infused lines of her figure. It was nothing like the fragile, willowy silhouettes of high-society ladies; instead, it evoked the powerful beauty of an ancient Greek warrior goddess carved in marble. Her silver-white hair was swept up, exposing the elegant lines of her neck and collarbones, with a few loose strands falling to add a touch of casual allure. Most mesmerizing of all were still those calm, blood-red eyes of hers, which, under the crystal chandeliers, reflected a mysterious, distant gleam.
She needed no jewelry to set her off; she herself was a peerless work of art. That exotic presence, that cool, aloof air, that subdued sense of power, and that devastatingly beautiful face made her, in an instant, the undisputed center of attention at the entire gala. Every gaze, no matter from man or woman, was drawn to her against their will, and the murmurs and whispers rose and fell in waves.
Tony, who had been planning to bask in the spotlight, quickly realized that his carefully staged entrance and effortless humor had turned dull and colorless beside Skadi's silent radiance. Rubbing his nose, feeling a sour twinge in his chest, he muttered under his breath to Pepper at his side, "Pepper, I think we're redundant tonight."
Pepper looked at Skadi, eyes full of appreciation and amazement, and simply shook her head with a smile.
The music began, and the dance floor opened. Under Takao's half-hearted resistance (and mostly Skadi's unyielding, wordless stare), the two of them slipped into the crowd of dancers.
Skadi's steps were a little stiff at first, but with her extraordinary coordination and precise control of strength, she quickly found the rhythm. Takao guided her, one hand resting lightly on the elegant curve of her back and waist, clearly feeling the terrifying power hidden beneath the gown—power that could flip a car. Skadi's hand rested on his shoulder, looking gentle, yet carrying a quiet sense of control that made escape impossible.
Their bodies swayed softly with the music, the distance between them very small—so small they could feel each other's breath. Skadi bowed her head slightly, her red eyes fixed on Takao without blinking. In that gaze, which was usually filled only with reliance and the instinct to protect, something else seemed to have slipped in… a trace of confusion, a hint of curiosity, and a faint, unfamiliar flutter born from this close contact, something even she herself couldn't quite understand.
Takao, under that stare, felt a bit uneasy. Under the lights, her exquisite face seemed veiled in a soft halo, so beautiful it felt unreal. Their eyes tangled in midair, and in the gentle strains of the music, the ambiguous air between them quietly spread and fermented. In the clear stillwater of Skadi's heart, some awareness that went beyond the boundary of "companions" seemed to have dropped in like a tiny stone, sending out ripples that wouldn't stop.
Just then, a mild yet firm voice cut in, shattering the delicate mood.
"Good evening, Mr. Stark, Ms. Potts. This must be Mr. Tsuda, and…"
A man in a well-cut suit, with a slightly receding hairline and a textbook friendly smile, walked toward them. His gaze settled, unerringly, on Skadi. "This beautiful lady must be Ms. Skadi, I presume? I'm Phil Coulson, an agent of S.H.I.E.L.D."
Takao's heart stirred. They're here. He was more than happy to sit back and watch, so he gave Coulson a "be my guest" kind of smile.
Coulson was a seasoned veteran. He started by politely praising Skadi's beauty and… her "astonishing performance in the desert that night" (clearly S.H.I.E.L.D. had already gathered some intel), then began probing toward the core.
Once they had all taken seats in the lounge, Coulson launched his recruiting offensive. He didn't interrogate directly, but moved in a roundabout way.
"Ms. Skadi's abilities are astonishing, far beyond anything in our current framework of understanding," Coulson said sincerely. "The duty of S.H.I.E.L.D. is to protect Earth from unconventional threats, and we're in great need of talent like Ms. Skadi. We can offer the most advanced equipment, the best compensation, and a broader stage where she can truly exercise her abilities…"
He rattled off the benefits of joining S.H.I.E.L.D.: global medical coverage, top-tier research resources, and even hints of authority and rank.
However, Skadi's reaction from start to finish was like a block of real, solid ice. She simply sat beside Takao, not even sparing Coulson a direct look, as if he were speaking some alien language she couldn't make sense of at all. Her gaze stayed on Takao the entire time; every now and then, she would gently slide the cup on the coffee table closer to him, or tilt her head in mild confusion whenever he looked back at her.
After talking for quite a while and realizing it was essentially a monologue, Coulson had no choice but to shift his attention to Takao. "Mr. Tsuda, it seems Ms. Skadi values your opinion greatly. Perhaps you could help us persuade her? For the greater good…"
Takao smiled, took a sip of tea, then naturally slipped an arm around Skadi's shoulders. He felt her lean in just a fraction. "Agent Coulson, I appreciate the thought. But where Skadi goes is her decision." He lowered his head to look at Skadi and gently asked, "Skadi, do you want to leave me and go work for that so-and-so 'Bureau'?"
Skadi immediately shook her head, and for an instant there was even a flicker of wariness in her ice-blue eyes. She hugged Takao's arm more tightly, her cool voice ringing with absolute conviction. "No. I will only follow Doctor. Wherever Doctor is, that's where I will be."
Takao spread his hands at Coulson with a smile. "You see, that's her answer."
The smile on Coulson's face was starting to strain. He tried another angle. "Mr. Tsuda, perhaps you could consider joining us as well? With your… abilities, we'd be more than happy to have you."
"I'm not interested in joining any organization for the time being," Takao refused outright. "We're fine like this. Free, unbound. Of course, if Earth really faces some major crisis, we're not going to just sit back and watch. You can rest easy on that."
At that moment, Tony, who had finally shaken off a couple of clingy board members, walked over. He'd been keeping an eye on things over here for a while. Slipping an arm around Coulson's shoulders in a boozy show of friendliness that brooked no argument, he said:
"Hey! Agent Coulson, right? Listen, whatever it is you want to talk about, now is not the time. Can't you see you're interrupting a pair of, ah, 'companions' enjoying their evening?" He deliberately leaned on the word "companions," his tone full of teasing. "Work stuff, rain check, okay? For now, let's just enjoy the party."
With that, he half-pushed, half-dragged the still-protesting Coulson away.
Coulson let out a helpless breath and cast one last look at Skadi, who still hadn't shifted her focus from Takao. Realizing there would be no progress tonight, he could only take his leave with formal politeness.
Tony turned back to Takao and Skadi with a shrug. "Looks like you've caught their eye. But don't worry, with me around, those guys won't dare go too far—at least not for now." He glanced at how tightly Skadi was pressed against Takao, then at the dancers in the center of the floor, and curled his lip. "All right, all right, get back to your little 'companion dance.' I won't be the third wheel."
The music shifted back into something soft and mellow, and the lights blurred again. Skadi looked up at Takao once more, and in her red eyes, the hazy, unfamiliar emotion that Coulson had interrupted earlier seemed to quietly spread again. She gently pulled Takao a bit closer, picked up the dance they hadn't finished—and with it, the awakening in her heart that was quietly growing, pushing her step by step past the line that defined "companions."
(End of Chapter)
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