41 | monsters inside

Hope

"Tony, turn around."

"I just wanna know—"

"Tony."

"I'm just asking if you're hungry, can't I ask my fiancée if she's hungry and have someone buy her some food?"

"Not when you're in the middle of a hearing!" I whisper-yelled at Tony while I sat in the front row while Tony was being presented before the senators.

Tony received a subpoena last night regarding, of course, none other than his precious armor suit that has been gaining a lot of attention from all around the world. And what do you know, Senator Stern happens to be one of the people in front of us today and I'm pretty sure that the man despises Tony.

"Mr. Stark, could we pick up where we left off now?" Senator Stern said as he began to knock the gavel against the wooden table.

"Tony, turn around!" I told him, slowly losing my mind because of how stubborn he's being now. But if we're being quite honest, I've been losing my mind for years now.

"Just tell me—" He was cut off when Stern started banging the gavel to try and gain his attention again.

"Mr. Stark, please." Senator Stern and finally, Tony turned around and leaned in towards the mic only to say something very much Tony-like.

"Yes, dear?" He responded to Senator Stern, earning a series of laughter that surged through the people watching inside the court, along with the camera men getting this court hearing on television for the world to witness.

"Can I have your attention?" Asked Senator Stern rhetorically.

"Absolutely." Tony answered.

"Do you or do you not possess a specialized weapon?" Stern asked, again, rhetorically. I can see that in that ridiculous face of his and his obvious undertone as he spoke.

"I do not." Tony answered.

I know I shouldn't be encouraging this behavior of his towards the Senator, but they seek to take his suits away from him and that's not exactly something that we had planned for the next years to come.

"You do not?" Stern questioned with his eyebrow shooting upwards.

"I do not—Well, it depends on how you define the word 'weapon'." Tony replied, still as sassy as ever.

"The Iron Man Weapon."

"My device does not fit that description."

"Well...How would you describe it?"

"I would describe it by defining it as what it is, Senator." Tony and his words. I swear, Senator Stern will be begging to rip his head off at the end of this hearing because of how fed up he is with him.

"As?" Stern asked.

"It's a high-tech prosthesis." Tony retorted, causing another wave of laughs in the audience, my laugh among them. "That is—That is...That's actually the most apt description I can make of it."

I lowered my head and let my laugh die down while I felt Pepper's gaze beside me, judging me because unlike the rest of us, she is nervous. I've told her many times that there's nothing to worry about.

"It's a weapon. It's a weapon, Mr. Stark." Senator Stern insisted.

"Please, if your priority was actually the well-being of the American citizen—"

"My priority is to get the Iron Man weapon turned over to the people of the United States of America."

At this point, the two of them are just talking over each other.

"Well, you can forget it." Tony replied, with his left hand on top of his right as it rested on the sturdy and polished wooden table. "I am Iron Man. The suit and I are one. To turn over the Iron Man suit would be to turn over myself which is tantamount to indentured servitude or prostitution, depending on what state you're in."

His sass and sarcasm are irritating and unbearable when it's being directed towards me but when he uses it with somebody else, it's a hell of a lot more entertaining.

"You can't have it." Tony added before leaning back against the comfortable-looking chair. Not much can be said with the bench we're sitting on right now.

"Look, I'm no expert—" Stern started only for Tony to cut him off short.

"In prostitution? Of course not. You're a senator. Come on!" Tony retorted, slamming his hand on the table before turning around to wave at the people behind him until his eyes landed on me, noticing the uncontrollable smile on my face.

"You like that?" He muttered, knowing that I'd still hear him.

I simply rolled my eyes at him in response but with my smile still as evident.

"I'm no expert in weapons. We have somebody here who is an expert on weapons. I'd like to call Justin Hammer, our current primary weapons contractor." Stern introduced as my eyes shifted towards Justin Hammer clad in his pale blue suit.

Ah, Justin Hammer. Rival of Stark Industries—No. You know what? That title is too big for Hammer Industries. They're not deserving of such a title considering that back when Stark Industries was still manufacturing weapons, Hammer's were nowhere near as good as Tony's.

And on top of that, Justin flirted with me a few years ago, which I assumed adds to why Tony utterly hates his guts. You can also imagine my disgust when he poorly attempted to take me to dinner. If Rhodey wasn't there to save me from him, Justin Hammer would have one less hand today for touching my arm.

"Let the record reflect that I observed Mr. Hammer entering the chamber, and I am wondering if and when any actual expert will also be in attendance." Tony stated as Justin made his way towards the front, sipping a glass of water.

Justin simply laughed as he pulled the mic towards him.

"Absolutely. I'm no expert. I defer to you, Anthony. You're the wonder boy." Another reason why Tony hates him so much, is he calls him 'Anthony'. Which he had perfectly made clear that only I'm allowed to call him that because he said it sounds heavenly on my lips.

"Uh, Senator, if I may." Justin said as he stood up from his seat and walked around the table. "I may well not be an expert, but you know who was the expert? Your dad! Howard Stark."

I don't know Howard because I've never met him, but I do know that his name when coming from Justin's mouth is the most insulting thing ever. Or maybe that's just my disgust towards Hammer overriding my judgment.

"Really, a father to us all, and to the military-industrial age. Let's just be clear, he was no flower child. He was a lion. We all know why we're here. In the last six months, Anthony Stark has created a sword with untold possibilities." A sword that I would very much like to drive through your heart, respectfully. "And yet, he insists it's a shield."

"That's because it is." I said, although a little too loud, apparently because I suddenly felt the gaze of the people around me, including Tony, Justin, and Senator Stern.

Another thing I hate, being the center of attention in something as public as this.

"Ms. Mikaelson—" Senator Stern addressed me and I assumed he was going to try and shut me up until Justin cut him off.

"It's all fine, Senator." He told Stern, before looking back at me.

"I'd like to believe you, Andrea, I really do." He said, his fake kindness and innocence bringing another level of irritation to course through my venom-tainted veins. "But coming from the mouth of a lethal monster, it's not highly trustworthy."

You mean the mouth that you were desperately sticking your tongue into before? I really wanted to snap at him. I really did. But the public's already antsy with me as it is. And that's just the nicest term I can describe them right now. I'm practically walking on thin ice, and even though frostbites cannot exactly kill me—it doesn't mean it won't hurt.

So I bit my tongue and clenched my hands into fists to stop myself from flinging from the bench and coming at Justin with my hands strangling his neck. I looked over to Tony and saw him already looking at me, all traces of humor and entertainment lost in his eyes and replaced with worry.

Ever since the riot that stirred after the interview, he's been protective of me, babying me, even. As if I was too fragile to be squeezed too much by the boiling anger that resided in people's bodies.

I can handle it. At least, for now.

"As I was saying before Ms. Mikaelson rudely interrupted me," I couldn't help but scoff at his statement, earning a quick glare from him. "He insists that what he created is a shield. He asks us to trust him as we cower behind it. I wish I were comforted, Anthony, I really do. I'd love to leave my door unlocked when I leave the house, but this ain't Canada."

The Iron Man suit is not exactly an all-around and permanent solution to every problem in America. But it is the first step in coming up with one for the entire world. We're not urging him to completely let their guard down. We're just asking for a little trust. No one knows and deserves the Iron Man suit than the man who made it all happen.

The fact that Justin Hammer keeps babbling all this crap and also bizarrely missing the point of the purpose of the Iron Man suit entirely while I sat here, disapproved of saying anything else is rather painful.

"You know, we live in a world of grave threats, threats that Mr. Stark will not always be able to foresee." If only I can tell them that I already know how everything will work out. But aside from the fact that I can't, I'm also still not sure if that's exactly what this timeline is headed towards. "Thank you. God bless Iron Man. God bless America."

Applause from the senators in front caused me to roll my eyes, especially the loud clap being Senator Stern's.

"That is well said Mr. Hammer." Stern said. No, it's not. Did we listen to the same lame speech?

"The committee would now like to invite Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes to the chamber." Stern added, causing me to immediately scrunch my eyebrows together before looking behind me, seeing Rhodey enter clad in his formal military uniform with a file in hand.

"Rhodey? What?" Tony questioned as he, too, looked back to see Rhodey approaching the front. He stood up and met Rhodey halfway before greeting him.

"Hey, buddy. I didn't expect to see you here." Tony said as he shook hands with Rhodey.

"Look, it's me, I'm here. Deal with it. Let's move on." Rhodey told him before they proceeded to the front, sparing me a glance and a small smile in the process.

I returned the smile before he sat. I'm really wishing that Rhodey will be able to help Tony's case.

"I have before me a complete report on the Iron Man weapon, compiled by Colonel Rhodes. And, Colonel, for the record, can you read page 57, paragraph four?" Senator Stern said.

"You're requesting that I read specific selections from my report, Senator?" Rhodey asked. Judging by Rhodey's tone, I can tell that he's entire report is already being sabotaged.

"Yes, sir." Stern answered.

"It was my understanding that I was going to be testifying in a much more comprehensive and detailed manner." Rhodey argued.

"I understand. A lot of things have changed today. So if you could just read—"

"You do understand that reading a single paragraph out of context does not reflect the summary of my final—"

"Just read it, Colonel. I do. Thank you."

So, basically, this entire hearing is rigged against Tony? How lovely. I guess I've finally found the people who actually hate Tony.

"Very well." Rhodey responded. "'As he does not operate within any definable branch of government Iron Man presents a potential threat to the security of both the nation and to her interest.'"

That doesn't sound good.

"I did, however, go on to summarize that the benefits of Iron Man far outweigh three liabilities and that it would be in our interest—" Rhodey debated and they proceeded to argue as Rhodey refused to stop justifying his own report.

"I'm not a joiner, but I'll consider Secretary of Defense, if you ask nicely." Tony interred, causing the ambiance in the courtroom to light up as they erupted into a series of chuckles and comments. "We can amend the hours a little bit."

"I'd like to go on and show, if I may, the imagery that's connected to your report." Stern said, continuing to turn Rhodey's entire testimony into his favor.

"I believe it is somewhat premature to reveal these images to the general public at this time." Rhodey suggested.

"With all due respect, Colonel, I understand." Does he really? But I guess that's the point. He does understand, he just doesn't care, especially if doing that would work out exactly how he likes it. "If you could just narrate those for us, we'd be very grateful. Let's have the images."

Rhodey gestured for the images to be released on screen for the people in the courtroom as well as the people watching from their televisions wherever they are.

"Intelligence suggests that the devices seen in these photos are, in fact, attempts at making manned copies of Mr. Stark's suit. This has been corroborated by our allies and local intelligence on the ground indicating that these suits are quite possibly, at this moment, operational." Rhodey narrated, but I began to become distracted once I saw Tony doing something with his phone.

At first thought, I planned to revert Tony's attention back to what was happening. But as I observed him more, I realized he is attentive to what's happening and simply doing something about it.

"Hold on a second, buddy. Let me see something here..." Tony trailed off before he did something that wasn't at all surprising for me because who would hack into the courtroom's tech stuff if not Tony?

"I commandeered your screens. I need them. Time for a little transparency. Now, let's see what's really going on." Tony said.

Now, I'm entertained. I cocked an eyebrow as I leaned back on my seat, crossing my arms against my chest as I anticipated Tony's impending win in this hearing, because who are we kidding? When it comes to the Iron Man suit, Tony will do everything to not let it get into the wrong hands.

"If you will direct your attention to said screens, I believe that's North Korea." Tony stated as he played footage of the said nation attempting to replicate the Iron Man suit, only for them to fail, miserably, might I add.

The people in the courtroom exploded into a wave of gasps, their whispers turning into chatters as the entire room devoured all sorts of silence. Stern slowly stood up from his seat as he tried to get someone—anyone to turn off the screens while Tony continued.

"Iran." He said. As expected, they also failed. Justin took it upon himself to go to the screen and rummage through everything to get the screens to stop. For a tech guy, he's really not good at this. "No grave threat here—is that Justin Hammer? How did Hammer get in the game?"

My hand flew to cover my mouth to suppress the laugh that almost burst out of me at the sight of Justin indeed attempting to make an Iron Man suit. Well, what do you know? I guess he is attracted to that sword of untold possibilities after all. Wouldn't be the first time he's attracted to something that Tony has.

"Justin, you're on TV. Focus up." Tony commented as Justin frantically unplugged the screen after seeing how his attempt went totally downhill. With the speech he delivered just moments earlier, that's really humiliating. But it serves him right.

Tony shared a glance with Rhodey, Pepper, and me as a small victorious smirk tugged on his lips. This clever asshole never fails to make everything interesting.

"Wow. Yeah, I'd say most countries, five, ten years away. Hammer Industries, twenty." Tony concluded.

"I'd like to point out that the test pilot survived." Justin chimed in. Honestly, the best way to avoid further embarrassment is to just leave the room discreetly.

"Barely, I assume." I pointed out myself.

"Shut it, Mikaelson." He snapped at me. Instead of making me upset, it only made my smile widened knowing that I'm finally getting under his skin.

"Don't talk to her like that." Tony said while still in his seat and pointing at Justin.

"I think we're done is the point Mr. Hammer's making." Stern said, trying to cover up the ridiculous mess that is this hearing. "I don't think there's any reason—"

"The point is, you're welcome, I guess." Tony stated, interrupting Senator Stern.

"For what?"

"Because I'm your nuclear deterrent. It's working. We're safe. America is secure. You want my property? You can't have it! But I did you a big favor." Tony said.

He then stood up from his chair and turned around to face me and the crowd as he went on to announce with his hands up in the air—both making peace signs.

"I've successfully privatized world peace." He said. And with that, the rigged hearing crashed and burned and the crowd stood dump and clapped in Tony's favor, me being one of them.

"What more do you want?! For now!" Tony said as he talked to us and over the applause of the people. "I tried to play ball with these ass clowns!"

"Fuck you, Mr. Stark. Fuck you." Senator Stern said.

Well, he was the one who started it, Tony just intended to finish it with style.

—

"Fuck!" I exclaimed as I threw one of the scattered grimoires in front of me towards the door, not knowing that Tony was actually on his way in, almost getting hit by it.

"Why so cranky?" Tony said as he made his way to stand behind me and rubbed my shoulders.

Tony let me have my own library filled with grimoires and history books, everything I need. He has his workshop, I have this.

I sighed deeply in frustration as my eyes fluttered closed, letting Tony relieved me of my stress.

"I just don't understand. I'm a tribrid." I said, my eyelids peeling open once more before frustration enveloped me again. "I'm powerful and yet I can't figure out how to reverse Dahlia's stupid linking spell!"

I spelled the grimoires closed as I shouted in distress before leaning forward to place my elbows on top of the table and burying my face onto my palms.

I went down to New Orleans a few days ago to try a bunch of spells. Even tried using powerful energies to draw from such as my entire fucking family. But there's something missing. Like, the spell is begging for more power. And I should've known that because the raven-witch herself is always hungry for more power.

"How about the sleeping beauty thing they've got going on? Have you figured that part out?" He asked as he pulled a chair to sit beside me.

"I have. But I can't do that if Aunt Freya is still linked to Dahlia." I said. I leaned back and let my hands fall on top of the table while I glanced at Tony. "I also need more power. I need that alien energy Fury is talking about."

"You see, this is why you can't be an agent. You tell me things that's supposed to be classified." He commented.

"I trust you." I responded and that's true. I do trust him. And I know that he wouldn't do anything to break my trust. After everything we've been through, secrets are beyond us.

"Patchy The Pirate doesn't." He said.

That's also true. Fury might want Tony to be part of the Avengers Initiative, but there are still things that he needs to observe about Tony and until he's completely sure, he doesn't entirely trust him.

"We have to get ready." I said, my eyes glancing towards the clock on the wall, already half past 6 in the evening.

I heard Tony groan from beside me, causing me to look at him and see him with his head lowered, as if he had become lazy all of a sudden.

"Double dating with Pepper and 'Peppah' is not ideal, you know." Tony complained.

Fun fact, Tony has officially appointed the great Pepper Potts as his successor and therefore becoming the new CEO of Stark Industries. I know I said Pepper deserves a raise, but an extreme promotion is deserving as well. With Tony busy being Iron Man and my fiancé, there's not a lot of him to go around the company. That's why Pepper was slowly losing her mind trying to run the company on her own when she was just Tony's assistant.

But now, she's the CEO. It must feel good having all that hard work pay off. I wish I can feel it soon enough.

"We're going. It's a celebration." I said before leaning in to touch his lips with mine.

—

"The notary's here! Can you please come sign the transfer paperwork?" Pepper said as she entered the gym where Tony and Happy train inside the ring and I watch in horror as my fiancé cheats at boxing. Is this the same man I trained before?

"I'm on Happy time." Tony stated while he continued to punch, until his elbow made contact with Happy's face, leaving our friend stunned. "Sorry."

"What the hell was that?" Happy asked, even though he's well aware of what it is.

"It's called mixed martial arts. It's been around for...three weeks." Tony answered as he lightly hopped.

"It's called dirty boxing. There's nothing new about it." Happy corrected, sounding rather pissed.

"Honestly, Tony, what the hell are you doing?" I said with my arms crossed against my chest. I was supposed to fight Happy today. But Tony keeps hogging him so I'm just standing idly by as I watch poor Happy be on the receiving end of Tony's petty punches.

"What? I'm evolving."

"No, you're slacking."

"No I'm not."

"Cheating is slacking."

Tony groaned in annoyance before looking back at Happy. "All right, fine. Put them up, come on."

I was simply watching them when I felt another presence join in the room. My eyes darted towards the entryway to the gym and saw a redhead standing there clad in her office attire with a file in her left hand, her eyes fixated at the ring where Happy and Tony stood stunned.

Something fired up inside me. It's not anger. I know what it is. I just refuse to admit it because I've never felt that in this magnitude before. Which resulted in me being suddenly closed off.

"I'm gonna go get a drink." I just said before walking away from the ring and toward where the redhead entered.

"Andrea." I heard Tony call.

"Lesson one, never take your eye off—" Happy stated until I heard Tony push him away, his footste[s nearing me right after. I felt his hand on my waist pulling me back against his body, trapping me.

"Hey—" Tony said as soon as he pulled me back.

"Let me go." I told him, keeping myself from yanking his grasps off me because I know it would hurt him.

"No." He refused, tightening his hold around my waist.

"Tony, you're all sweaty." I complained.

"Never bothered you before." He answered.

This is the type of conversation that no one should be hearing. And yet Tony is more than comfortable in revealing the intimate details to anyone who's around at the moment.

"Tony. Let go." I warned him.

"Are you jealous?" He asked, a small smirk tugging on his lips.

Now is not the time to be irritating. My patience is wearing thin right now thanks to the bubbling jealousy building up inside me.

"No. I said I'm just getting a drink." I clarified. Although,'lied' would be a much more fitting word.

"You're totally jealous." He said, looking annoyingly entertained, assuming by how irritated I look.

"I'm not."

"It's cute."

"It's not."

"Look, she's hot." He said.

I narrowed my eyes at him, furrowing my eyebrows as I felt the jealousy skyrocket. "That's not helping—"

"But you are way hotter." He said, looking straight into my eyes. "More beautiful."

I remained looking annoyed but I didn't say anything. What am I supposed to say to that? When he says that I immediately go weak in the knees. The only thing keeping Tony from noticing that I already have gone weak in the knees is the fact that he's holding me up against his body.

"This beautiful auburn hair." He said in a whisper as he brushed his fingers through my hair. "This ravishing neck." Then trailed his fingertips down my neck, his gaze following his subtle yet seductive movements. "Enchanting blue eyes." He shifted his deep brown eyes toward mine, gazing into them. "Breathtaking body." He held me tighter, my chest pushed up against his. "These addicting lips." His gaze dropped to my lips.

The jealousy I was feeling suddenly melted away with the way he whispered those things to me with a mix of love and lust. His fingers brushing my hair made me feel butterflies in my stomach. His fingertips tracing my neck down to my collarbone sent pleasuring goosebumps throughout my entire body. His lustful stare caused my heart to hammer inside my chest. His arms tightening around my waist left me speechless. And his hungry gaze on my lips made them part.

Tony leaned in, his lips almost touching my ear as he continued to whisper. "I can just take you right here right now and show that redhead how much I love my girl."

If I didn't have any self control, I'd let him have his way with me. At least one of us needs self control in this kind of thing. And that person is usually me because I can't expect Tony to be that. But sometimes, the urge to just let go is utterly tempting.

"If you two are going to flaunt your virgorously active sex life in front of our faces, you might as well just sign this already so you can get a room." Pepper said, causing me to break the entrancing state that Tony has put me in.

Our shared gaze broke off as we turned towards Pepper who had her eyebrow arched, clearly already annoyed at us, or maybe she's annoyed at Tony. I'm not sure. She has been a little cranky lately. Nerves of becoming the new CEO I guess.

"I promise this is the only time I will ask you to sign over your company." Pepper warned as the redhead handed her the file she was holding.

"I need you to initial each box." Said the woman, instructing Pepper on the things she needs to handle in that particular file.

I heard Tony sigh beside me before intertwining his hand with mine and gently tugging me towards them.

"Come on." He urged me before he turned towards the redhead. "What's your name, lady?"

"Rushman. Natalie Rushman." The woman—Natalie—answered.

First impression? Nothing, to be frank. Just by standing here in front of her, she seems professionally expressionless. As if she knew that one little emotion could expose her personality as well as her intentions. And after Obadiah, there's no such thing as being too careful. So, I did a little digging of my own.

"I'm Andrea." I introduced and she gave a small smile, one that feels rather empty but not in an offensive way. She just doesn't look like the person who smiles much. I don't know if that's a defense mechanism or she's just somewhat...sad.

"Yes. Congratulations on the engagement." She greeted as she offered her hand towards me. I smiled in return and clasped my hand in hers.

As soon as I held her hand, images flashed inside my mind. Dreams—no, memories. Memories that aren't mine. I know it's not but I almost thought it was mine because of the gushing red that dripped from every memory I witnessed, from every person she has killed. But even with the brutality of each image pouring, the emotions were the opposite.

Remorse. Shame. Sorrow. Fear. Those were the things I felt as those images played inside my head. The things she felt as she did them because believe it or not, she didn't actually like what she did.

Much like me.

It took everything in me not to show any reaction on my face that would alert Pepper or Tony as I shook Natalie's hand. Wait, no. Her name's not Natalie.

Natasha.

"Thank you." I said, my smile not faltering before I withdrew my hand.

The reason why I'm not that alarmed just yet is because in one of those images, it shows that she's a part of an organization that I also am a part of. S.H.I.E.L.D.

Is Fury spying on me now?

"Front and center. Come into the church." Tony told Natasha, pointing to the ring.

Pepper and Tony argued about letting Natasha go into the ring with Happy for a few rounds. And all I'm thinking about is, if she's from S.H.I.E.L.D., then that means she knows everything about me. And yet she let me hold her hand, knowing that I'd be able to see inside her head.

I don't know if she showed me that to trust her or to warn me.

"Can you give her a lesson?" Tony asked Happy as Natasha entered the ring.

"No problem." Happy said.

I tilted my head and squinted my eyes as I watched Natasha stand in the middle of the ring.

"I don't think that's a good idea." I commented. I already know what she's capable of. Happy will just humiliate himself. Poor Happy.

"No, it's okay." Tony told me before urging me to sit beside him while Pepper sat on the other side of the holographic table where Tony started searching.

"How do you spell your name, Natalie?" Tony asked.

"R-U-S-H-M-A-N" she answered.

"Seriously?" Pepper said as she watched Tony pull up Natashas fake file, which is packed, by the way.

"Wow. Very, very impressive individual. She's fluent in French, Italian, Russian, Latin. Who speaks Latin?"

"No one speaks Latin. It's a dead language."

"Uhm. Hello?" I said, waving my hand to gain their attention and remind them of their Latin-speaking friend and fiancée.

"Oh, right. Phasmatos." Tony said before going back to learning everything he can about 'Natalie Rushman', whose real name is actually Natasha Romanoff. I appreciate keeping the same initials though.

Our attention darted towards the ring when we heard Happy's struggles. Our gazes were shifted towards them just in time to witness Natasha completely and effortlessly take down Happy with her legs around his head as she flipped him over, pinning him to the ground.

"Oh my God! Happy!" Pepper exclaimed.

"You did that to me one time." Tony whispered to me as he kept his eyes on Natasha and Happy, amused by the whole thing. "Neat trick."

Like I said, it wasn't a good idea leaving Happy with Natasha.

After that rather hilarious incident, Natasha said her formal goodbyes as she went to exit the room and soon, the house. But before she could, I made sure to have a word with her first.

When she reached the living room, I used my vampire speed to get in front of her, blocking her way. As expected, she already knows everything about me that even if I just sped in front of her, she didn't even flinch. Almost as if she was already expecting that.

"Natasha, right?" I asked, rhetorically, of course.

"Yes. Natasha Romanoff." She formally introduced.

I squinted my eyes at her, observing her body language. She seems calm.

"Now, what's a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent doing posing as a notary?" I asked taking a few steps closer to her. "Did Fury ask you to spy on me?"

"I'm here for Mr. Stark." She answered.

She's not here for me, but for Tony? I don't know which one to wonder the most, the fact that Fury sent a spy to keep an eye on Tony despite me already handling that for him, or the fact that Natasha is willingly telling me all of these things, risking blowing her cover.

"You know, for a spy, you don't seem to be having any trouble revealing your identity and mission to me." I stated, crossing my arms against my chest,

"You're one of us." Natasha reasoned out.

"Not yet."

"But soon."

I tilted my head up slightly, my stare not wavering as I felt the veins under my eyes bulge, my eyesight darkening with the vision of a monster. But even with all visible for Natasha to witness, she did not faze.

"You don't seem scared." I commented as I reverted into my normal state, curious but fascinated.

Natasha's eyes did not move, just staring right into mine.

"All of us have monsters inside. You're just more open to it because you've already conquered yours." She said.

Is that what she thinks? That I'm willing to show everyone my other side because I've already embraced it, therefore, I have more control with it? That may be true. In fact, she's nailed that observation.

But, what if it's my defense mechanism? Showing them my dark side so no one would dare try to test me? Isn't that an option? Isn't that what everybody else thinks?

"Tell Fury I'll be visiting soon. In the meantime, I need to get ready. I have a dress fitting appointment." I said before leaving Natasha in the living room.

I have no time for those things. Right now, I need to try on my wedding dress.

—

More Natasha and Hope scenes soon <3