On the roads of Allentown, a black car cut through traffic at speed, weaving past vehicle after vehicle without slowing down.
"Natasha, I think we could go a little slower," Clint said, gripping the door handle as she carved through the lanes.
"We have to find him before he leaves the area. We don't have time to drive slow."
She took a sudden right that brought her hood within inches of another driver's door.
"Hey — watch where you're going!" the man shouted after them, still cursing as they pulled ahead.
"Any update on where he is now? After the fire building?"
"Looks like three more people were dropped at the police station door — unconscious, with evidence on them. It was near the fire area, so he's still around," Clint said, eyes on his tablet.
"Then let's get to the station. I think we can catch him there." She pressed the accelerator down a little more.
Vroooom.
"Looks like it's my lucky day — that's six now."
System, show my status.
[Total Hero Points: 500]
[Next Alien Unlock: 600 Hero Points]
"I only need another 100 points to unlock another alien. I don't know what I'll get this time."
Jack, in his Spider-Monkey form, dropped the last of the bound figures near the police station entrance and swung away, moving fast along the rooftops. Then a horn cut through the air behind him.
Honk. Honk.
He glanced back. A black BMW was keeping pace below, tracking his movement through the street, horn going again as he swung. Jack looked through the windshield and clocked Natasha and Clint Barton inside.
He hadn't expected to run into them here. But they were following him, keeping up, honking deliberately. This wasn't a coincidence — they'd come for him. Rather than lead them further through the streets, Jack swung down toward a nearby park and dropped into the shade of a tree, away from the public, and waited to see what they'd do.
Both of them parked and jogged toward the area where Spider-Monkey had landed. They slowed as they spotted him waiting near the tree.
"Is that the alien, Natasha?" Clint asked quietly as they approached with caution. "He looks different from the images I've seen."
"If you'd read the file I gave you properly, you'd know he has multiple transformations," Natasha replied, calm and even. "What we've seen before isn't everything."
"How do you know it's the same guy and not something else entirely?"
"Every transformation we've documented has that symbol — the green one — somewhere on it, different sizes, different positions. It's either him or his organization's logo. Either way, we've got a confirmed match." Her eyes moved to the Omnitrix symbol on Spider-Monkey's chest as she said it.
As they drew close, Jack spoke first.
"I didn't expect to meet you here, Ms. Natasha Romanoff."
Hearing her name, Natasha was certain — same person as before.
"Likewise, Mr. Alien. I didn't expect to find you all the way out in Allentown." Her tone was smooth and professional.
"Just call me Omnix. And Ms. Natasha — we don't need to play word games. We both know this wasn't a coincidence, so you can just say what you want."
Jack felt no reason to waste time guessing what SHIELD wanted from him. He was the stronger party here. Better to cut straight to it.
Natasha hadn't expected him to be so direct, but she didn't let it show.
"It seems Mr. Omnix is a straightforward person," she said, with a small, composed smile. "Alright. The last time we spoke, we didn't get much of a chance to talk properly. Since Mr. Omnix is living here on Earth, we — as people of this planet — would like to fully understand who you are and what organization you belong to. For the sake of peace."
"I told you what you needed to know last time," Jack said, just as calmly. "There's nothing more to discuss."
A flicker of irritation crossed Natasha's face — brief, controlled, buried almost instantly behind her professional composure. She tried a different angle. Then another. Jack gave her nothing.
I'd love to tell her more — but the problem is, maybe my future self built the Plumbers organization. I can't let anything slip when I'm not even sure what happened, and making things more complicated isn't going to help anyone. Silence is the right move for now.
Seeing she wasn't getting anywhere, she pressed further — but Clint stepped in.
"Mr. Omnix, I'm Clint Barton — Ms. Natasha's colleague. Our director has a request. If you're willing to hear it, he's authorized me to say that completing it would be considered proof of your good faith — and in return, you'd be given formal permission to remain on Earth."
"Like I need your director's permission to live here," Jack said flatly. He was already losing interest. There was nothing new here, and he was close to walking away.
Natasha read it immediately. "What Clint means, Mr. Omnix, is that completing this commission would mean we consider you a genuine ally. Not a subject of observation — an ally."
Jack looked at her for a moment. He knew she was angling for something, but he was curious enough to see where it led.
"Since Ms. Natasha put it that way — alright. What's the commission?"
"We need you to find Tony Stark," she said. "He's been missing for nearly three months."
Jack went quiet for a second.
"Find the missing billionaire?"
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