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"Young man, thank you so much for saving us!"
"If it weren't for you today, things would've gone horribly wrong."
Howard Stark's voice snapped Alex out of his thoughts.
The playboy inventor strode over, face unusually serious, and offered Alex a heartfelt thanks.
If this miraculous young man hadn't shown up, the consequences were unthinkable.
What Howard didn't know, however, was that even without Alex's intervention, he and Anton Vanko likely wouldn't have died.
Injuries, though, would've been hard to avoid.
The S.H.I.E.L.D. agents? They probably wouldn't have made it.
"Mr. Stark, are you alright?"
Alex gave Howard a once-over. The man was covered in dust, looking more ragged than his usual charming self.
"I'm fine, I feel like I could still handle a few more drinks!"
Howard waved a hand casually, then fixed his gaze on Alex. "Young man, what's your name? I'm Howard Stark—though since you clearly already know me, I guess I don't need to introduce myself, right?"
"Alex," he answered. No reason to hide it.
Even if Howard hadn't asked, Alex had planned to mention it eventually.
If you do something heroic, might as well leave your name behind.
Just then, the door slammed open.
A commanding woman stormed in, flanked by a squad of agents. She moved with practiced authority and an unmistakable British flair.
Despite her age—especially for the era—her curves and poise radiated mature confidence and elegance.
When Alex saw her, he instantly understood what Steve Rogers must've seen in her.
Peggy swept her gaze across the wrecked bar, her eyes landing on the three werewolf corpses sprawled across the floor.
Her expression darkened.
So the Soviets actually sent werewolves to assassinate someone?
Damn it—they'd only screened for well-trained spies or saboteurs. No wonder these freaks slipped through.
"Stark, are you hurt?"
Concern flashed across her face as she hurried to Howard's side.
"Relax, Peggy. I'm perfectly fine!"
Howard struck a dramatic pose and spun in place like a performer.
"See? Not a scratch."
Only then did Peggy truly relax.
She glanced over at Anton Vanko, who was now surrounded by S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. The target was secure, the mission was technically complete.
Her eyes shifted to Alex.
"Amazing kid," Howard said simply. "Showed up just in time—without him, we'd have been werewolf chow."
He gave Peggy a quick rundown of what had happened.
Her eyes lit with surprise, and she gave Alex a second—and then third—look.
Whatever she was thinking, she didn't say.
"Alex, thank you. Seriously. That was incredible. I've never seen someone do what you did."
"But if you don't mind, we'd like to ask you to come with us. Nothing serious—just need to ask a few questions."
"Don't worry, it's standard protocol. Oh, and maybe you've heard of Howard Stark, but you probably don't know my other identity."
Howard offered Alex a polite smile, then pulled out a business card.
Alex took it and read aloud: "Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division?"
He blinked. "That's… a mouthful. Who came up with that?"
Howard sighed dramatically. "I don't like it either, but hey—it does explain what we do, more or less."
"Mr. Stark, may I offer a suggestion?" Alex pocketed the card.
"How about… S.H.I.E.L.D.?"
Howard's eyes lit up. "Like a shield protecting national security? Very symbolic. Very catchy. Carter, I'm serious—we should consider this…"
Peggy's face darkened.
Howard Stark, you're the head of a major intelligence agency now. Can you please act like it?
"Simon, you three stay. Everyone else, we're pulling out!" Peggy barked orders with swift efficiency.
"Alex, I promise we won't take up too much of your time," Howard added. "It's just a quick debrief. What do you say?"
To be honest, Alex wasn't particularly interested in wasting time at S.H.I.E.L.D. HQ.
But just as he was about to decline, he hesitated.
S.H.I.E.L.D. was a hotspot for unusual events, and Howard Stark wasn't exactly an ordinary guy either.
What if another mission got triggered?
Sure, he'd just completed one, and the system didn't seem like it would hand out missions back-to-back… but Alex wasn't the developer. He had no idea how this thing decided anything.
He still didn't understand the criteria for mission triggers.
So why not take a chance?
If it worked, great—free Origin Points.
If not, no harm done. He might even build useful connections like Howard Stark for the future.
Alex made up his mind.
"Alright, no problem. But before that, I need to check in with a friend."
Howard nodded. "Of course."