C19: Suspect
"Tony, what are you looking at?"
"I'm waiting…"
Tony Stark turned his head and refocused on the woman standing before him. "I'm sorry, could you repeat your name?"
"You weren't listening to me at all, were you, Tony Stark."
"Maybe not," Tony admitted, smirking. "But it's hard to focus when the person in front of you is as stunning as someone with, say, Natasha Romanoff's level of charm."
"Or maybe someone didn't pay attention from the beginning, which wouldn't be a surprise from the man who once slept through a S.H.I.E.L.D. debriefing."
"Both are valid theories, but I still prefer the one where you're too distracting."
Faced with Tony's habitual flirtation, the woman exhaled in mild exasperation before reintroducing herself. "I'm Dr. Maya Hansen. I work in synthetic biology, specifically bio-programming. My current work builds on the Extremis formula."
"Extremis? Wow. We're talking about rewriting the human operating system."
"You had that same reaction a minute ago, Tony."
"Okay, you caught me. I may not have been completely tuned in the first time," Tony shrugged, stealing a glance at his watch, a custom StarkTech prototype linked to J.A.R.V.I.S.
"You keep checking the time. Got somewhere else to be?" Maya asked, eyeing him curiously.
"Listen, Maya. I'd genuinely love to dive into your Extremis work hell, it reminds me of the time Banner and I tried merging gamma signatures with repulsor energy but something else is tugging at me."
Tony lightly patted the inside pocket of his blazer, where a folded announcement note was tucked away bearing the unmistakable emblem of the Phantom Thief Kid, a criminal illusionist who'd recently become Gotham and Metropolis' latest mystery import.
He hesitated, then decided with a casual smile: "Ah, what the hell. Maybe this mystery thief can wait. Your research just got bumped to the top of Stark Industries' priority list. Any chance I can get a private tour of your lab? Purely academic, of course."
"You can see my research," Maya said pointedly, "but only the research."
"Of course."
Tony arched an eyebrow and nodded smoothly. He surveyed the party, a fusion of Stark Expo polish and Gotham's Wayne Foundation elegance until he spotted his driver.
"Hey, Happy. Time to grab the car."
"Understood, sir." Happy Hogan caught the keys Tony tossed his way, his gaze flicking between Tony and Maya with a smirk that said everything.
"Sir?"
Hearing Happy address him so formally, Tony raised an eyebrow.
Before he could process that oddity, a voice called out behind him.
"Mr. Tony Stark! Mr. Stark!"
Tony turned and saw a man with long, unkempt hair limping toward him on crutches.
"I'm Aldrich Killian. I'm your biggest fan."
"Hey, Killian." Tony gave a perfunctory handshake. "Not exactly party attire, huh?"
"I came just to see you, Mr. Stark."
If those words had come from a leggy redhead in Catwoman's costume, Tony might have reacted differently. But looking at Killian's raggedy coat and poorly-timed enthusiasm, Tony merely offered a polite half-smile.
"I'm with a think tank, Advanced Idea Mechanics. AIM. We specialize in cutting-edge tech applications."
Killian fished out two business cards and handed them to Maya and Tony.
"Just give them both to her."
Tony had met a dozen Killians before overeager techies pitching pie-in-the-sky ideas that usually involved arc reactors and alien alloys. This one didn't stand out. Until he checked the time again.
"Well, Killian, this was... informative. But I've got other priorities tonight."
Killian's hopeful grin faded instantly.
Tony turned to Maya and gently took her hand to lead her out, but then paused. Something about the name AIM itched in his brain, a red flag buried under years of Hydra files and Mandarin encounters.
"Sorry, give me one sec."
He turned back.
"You know, Ki—"
"Killian!" he answered, hopeful once more.
"Yeah, Killian. I was thinking maybe there is potential for us to collaborate. I'll walk Maya out, then let's meet up on the rooftop in five. Sound good?"
"Absolutely, Mr. Stark! I'll be there!"
Maya, frowning, turned to Tony once they walked off. "Didn't you say you weren't interested in think tanks?"
"I'm not."
"Then why the change of heart?"
"I'm not interested in AIM. I'm interested in Killian." He paused, then added with a sly grin, "Strictly in a scientific sense. Not that there's anything wrong with the other kind, but that's not my angle."
Maya gave him a suspicious side-eye and took a step back. "You're joking, right?"
"It's not like that," Tony reassured quickly. "Something about him seems... off. It's just a gut feeling. I want to run a little social experiment."
"And if you're wrong?"
"Then I'll owe Killian an apology and maybe a fruit basket."
Tony dismissed the risk with a shrug and led Maya outside only to find no car waiting at the entrance.
"Sorry about this. Give me a moment."
Embarrassed, Tony scanned the area and spotted Happy Hogan a short distance away, casually munching on a hamburger.
"Happy!"
"Tony? You're out already?" Happy turned, cheeks full, and tried to hide the fast-food bag behind him. "I just got a little hungry and slipped out to grab a bite."
"That's fine. Where's the car?"
"What car?" Happy blinked in confusion.
"My car? I gave you the keys just now."
Happy looked genuinely baffled. "The keys? You've had them the whole time."
Tony froze. A subtle chill crept over him.
He reached into his pocket and found it empty.
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