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  Nero sat in the dimly lit room, the mask of the Good Omen c his face, cealing his identity as he faced Reed Richards—Mr. Fantastic, the so-called "smartest man oh." The setting was minimal, nothing but two chairs and a table between them. Reed’s sharp eyes studied him, his posture calm but clearly alert, his mind already w through the reasons for this meeting. It was Reed who had been searg for him, and now here they were, face to face.

  Reed leaned back slightly, his fiapping lightly oable in front of him. “I didn’t expect you to respond to my message so quickly,” Reed began, his voice steady but ced with curiosity. “You’re hard to track down.”

  Nero didn’t respond immediately, letting the siletle between them before speaking. “I like to keep a low profile,” he said evenly, his voice altered by the mask to hide any trace of his real identity. “Especially from people like you.”

  A flicker of amusement passed across Reed’s face, though his tone remained serious. “People like me? You mean those who ask too many questions?”

  “People who don’t know when to stop,” Nero crified, his tone cold but not hostile. He didn’t o engage in Reed’s mind games—he was here to find out exactly what Reed wanted from him, and why.

  Reed’s fingers stopped tapping, his gaze log onto Nero’s masked face. “You’ve made quite the impact. Yanization has been involved in dismantling several operations that I’ve been monit—some of which were incredibly dangerous. A, here you are, still a ghost.”

  ilted his head slightly, the mask hiding the smirk that tugged at his lips. “You didn’t ask for this meeting to discuss my resume, Reed. What do you really want?”

  Reed leaned forward now, resting his elbows oable. “I want to know what you’re after. You operate in the shadows, taking down major threats like Obadiah and Mago, a you avoid any direct frontation with the bigger pyers. You’re not a hero. But you’re not a viliher. So, what are you?”

  Nero’s gaze didn’t waver, though behind the mask, his thoughts moved quickly. Reed robing, looking for a cra the armor, a clue to his identity or his motives. Nero wasn’t about to give him one. “You don’t o know what I am,” Nero replied coolly. “Just know that I have my reasons for what I do.”

  Reed’s eyes narrowed, clearly dissatisfied with Nero’s evasive answer. His sharp intellect was at work, searg fap in the masked figure’s words. “Reasons? What reasons could you possibly have to save Tony Stark?” Reed’s tone was measured, probing but not frontational.

  Nero chuckled, the sound distorted by his mask. “Same as you, Richards. Tony Stark is resourceful. He may yet bee an asset.”

  Reed leaned back slightly, processing Nero’s response. “An asset? Stark’s a liability more often than not. His ego alone makes him uable.”

  “True,” Nero replied, his voice calm, devoid of emotion. “But even liabilities have their uses. The question is how well you trol them.” He leaned forward, the mask cealing the amusement in his eyes. “You uand that better than anyone.”

  Reed’s fingers resumed their light tapping oable, a telltale sign that his mind was rag. “You’re pying a dangerous game. You operate in the shadows, pulling strings, but you’ve shown no i in taking power for yourself. What’s your endgame?”

  ilted his head, sidering Reed’s words. He had expected this line of questioning, but Reed was digging deeper than most would dare. “You’re assuming I have one.”

  “Everyone has an endgame,” Reed tered, his tone sharper now. “Whether it’s trol, power, or something else. Even the most well-hidden agendas reveal themselves eventually.”

  Nero chuckled, his mask dist the sound into something eerie. "So, you track down powerful people to gauge their iions, then judge them as threats if they have ambitions? Quite a judicial system you've built for yourself, Reed. Judge, jury, and executioner. I know a troll with a simir mi. Wao introduce you?"

  Reed didn’t flinch at the remark, though his eyes flickered with something close to amusement. “The difference is, I don’t execute. I assess risks. And I ralize them when necessary. You? You’re an unknown variable. That makes you dangerous.”

  Nero leaned ba his chair, crossing his arms. "You’re ner to dangerous people. Tony, Doom, your own family... What’s different here?"

  Reed’s fiapped lightly oable again, the rhythm almost calcuted. "What’s different is that I ’t pin you down. You show up when it suits you, take down threats, then disappear. You wear a mask, but it’s not just your face you’re hiding. It’s your motives."

  "Smartest man oh, and you still ’t figure it out?" Nero’s voice dripped with sarcasm. "Maybe I’m just a bored phinthropist with a pent for keeping city . Maybe I’ve got a hero plex. Or maybe—just maybe—I don’t owe you an expnation."

  Reed leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing behind his stoic expression. “You’re too casual,” he said, his voice steady but probing. “Aren’t you worried this could be a setup?”

  Nero chuckled. “You mispronounced fident,” he said smoothly, leaning ba his chair with a deliberate ease. “Besides, I could ask you the same thing. What makes you think you’re not walking into my trap?”

  Reed’s fiapped lightly oable, calg. “Because I don’t leave anything to ce. And I certainly don’t walk into a room without knowily who’s oher side.”

  ilted his head, the e glow of his mask’s eyes refleg Reed’s scrutiny back at him. “A here you are, fag someone you ’t figure out,” he said, his tone light, almost teasing.

  Reed’s eyes narrowed, the iy in the room shifting as his hand twitched ever so slightly—a barely noticeable movement to most, but Nero wasn’t most. Without warning, Reed lunged, his arm stretg impossibly fast, aiming to restrain Nero in a single move. But Nero had already anticipated the attack, his Observation Haki fring to life, allowing him to see Reed’s i before it even formed in the man’s mind.

  Nero leaned back with a fluid motion, his body moving just out of reach as Reed’s arm shot past him, the air whistling with the force of the strike. His masked eyes glowed faintly, the e hue refleg the tension in the room.

  "That’s a bit rude, don’t you think?" Nero said, his tone casual, almost mog. He shifted his weight slightly, not out of fear, but to show Reed that this game wasn’t one-sided.

  Reed didn’t respond, his face a mask of focus. His arm retracted, whipping back towards Nero with increased speed, the esticity of his body giving him a wide range of motion. This time, Reed wasn’t aiming for a capture—he was testing Nero’s reflexes.

  But Nero didn’t move. He raised his hand, and with a subtle gesture, the air around him shimmered. A thin trail e fmes—his Undying Will Fmes—fred to life, swirling around his figure like a protective barrier. Reed’s strike ected with the fmes, but instead of passing through, it stopped, the fmes hissing against his extended arm.

  Reed’s eyes flickered with surprise, but only for a sed. He quickly withdrew, regrouping as his mind raced to process this new information.

  "You think I’d walk into a meeting unprepared?" Nero’s voice was cold, calcuted. He could see Reed recalg his approach, trying to decipher what kind of threat Nero posed.

  Reed’s posture straightened, his arms still slightly elongated, ready for arike if necessary. "I wasn’t expeg a straightforward versation," he admitted, voice level. "But this is beyond what I anticipated. I thought your strength was agility, given yht with Obadiah and the way you moved. But it seems I’ve uimated you."

  Nero’s masked face remained unreadable, though there was a faint hum of amusement in his tone. "You’re not the first," he said, casually brushing off Reed’s observation. "And I doubt you’ll be the st."

  Reed’s mind raced, trying to piece together what little he knew about Nero, the masked figure who’d stayed hidden from the world. "Your fmes—they’re not like anything I’ve seen before. They’re... not just fire, are they?" His voice wasn’t accusatory, more curious than anything else.

  Nero chuckled softly, the sound distorted by his mask. "Good guess, but you're still off. Let’s just say my fmes are more than just a party trick."

  Reed’s eyes narrowed slightly, frustration flickering in his gaze. "You cloak yourself in mystery, yet you’re n to hide. It’s an odd game you’re pying. Why meet with me at all if you didn’t wao figure you out?"

  Nero leaned back, arms crossing. "You came looking for me, Reed. I thought it was only polite to show up."

  "Polite," Reed echoed, clearly unimpressed with Nero’s flippant attitude. "And here I thought you didn’t care about such things."

  "I don’t," Nero shot back, his tone sharpened. "But I do care about certain people overstepping their bounds. You’ve got your nose in a lot of pces it doesn’t belong, Reed. So I’m here to tell you—back off."

  Reed remained uhough his arms retracted fully now, no longer prepared to strike. "You wao stop looking into your affairs? What makes you think I’d agree to that?"

  Nero leaned back casually, arms resting oable between them, his mask’s e glow casting faint shadows on Reed’s face. “I’m not going to swiy threats, Richards. But know this—you’re wasting your time.” His tone was calm, but there was a cold edge beh the surface. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed the little toys you’ve pnted around here. Or Sue, trying to get a read on me from the shadows.”

  He turned his head ever so slightly, gng at ay spot he room's er. The air shimmered faintly, and though Susan Storm was invisible, Nero could sense her presence as clearly as if she were standing in front of him. With a casual wave of his hand, the faint glow of his Undying Will Fmes ignited briefly, casting a flicker of light in the dire where Susan stood.

  Reed’s eyes flicked toward the spot, but he didn’t react, his face remaining impassive. “I see you’re more perceptive than most,” Reed said, his voice steady, though there was an undeniable tension in the air now. “You’re ly what I expected.”

  “I rarely am,” Nero’s voice came out ft, dismissive. “This meeting wasn’t about some graion. It was to give you the ce to throw your best theories at me and watch you fail. Now that we’ve established that, let me make something clear—stop snooping. Not that you’d get anywhere, but it’s getting irritating. Like a fly buzzing around your head while you’re trying to work. Harmless, but annoying.”

  Reed’s fingers stilled against the table, his eyes sharp, calg. “Annoying or not, I don’t ignore unknowns. You’re operating in a way that will draw attention, if it hasn’t already. If I’m digging into you, others will too. How long before someone less patient decides to take a more direct approach?”

  Nero leaned forward, his elbows resting casually oable. “Let them e,” he said, his tone almost bored. “I’m not ed. Aher should you be. We both know what happens when people think they er me.”

  Reed’s gaze flickered, catg the underlying warning in Nero’s words. “You may not be ed, but you’re ly making friends. Even a masked operator like yourself has to ao someoually.”

  Nero chuckled, the distorted sound of his ughter filling the room. “You’re assuming I care about making friends. I’m not Tony Stark. I don’t o py nice or put on a show for the masses. You came to me, Richards. If I were you, I’d ask myself why.”

  Reed didn’t miss a beat. “I already know why. You’re a variable, and I don’t like variables. Too many threats exist for me to let an unknowor run unchecked. Your methods might not make you a vilin, but they don’t make you a hero either.”

  “Hero, vilin,” Nered, the glowing eyes of his mask fixated on Reed. “Those are bels for people who care about what side of the they nd on. I’m just doing what o be done, and I’m not looking for approval. Especially not from someone who’s stretg himself thin trying to be everyone’s moral pass.”

  As urned aed the room, the door shut quietly behind him, leaving Reed and Susan alone in the dim light. The shift imosphere was immediate. Reed’s fingers, which had been tapping rhythmically throughout the meeting, stilled as he leaned ba his chair. His posture, which had bee and slightly rigid during his exge with Nero, now rexed pletely, revealing a man far more in trol than he had appeared just moments earlier.

  Susan’s form shimmered bato visibility from where she had stood, cealed in the er. She walked over to Reed, her expression curious but calm. "Well, how was it?" she asked, tilting her head slightly, though she already khe meeting hadn’t been straightforward.

  Reed exhaled slowly, folding his arms as he stared at the closed door. "He’s extremely smart," he replied, his voiptive, but not frustrated. "Smart, careful, and deliberate. Everything he said, every move he made—it was calcuted."

  Susan hummed in aowledgment, leaning against the table beside him. "Sounds like you were both feeling each other out. Did you get anything useful?"

  Reed shook his head slowly, though there was no sign of disappoi on his face. "ly, but that was expected. He tered every tactic I tried. Soft, hard, push, pull... even when I ged my approach, he adapted. It wasn’t a battle of wits—it was more like a chess game where both pyers know the moves, but her is willing to tip their hand."

  Susan raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "So he’s not just some guy pying at being a puppet master."

  Reed’s eyes flickered with a glint of respect. "No, he’s far more than that. His methods aren’t about ego or trol. He’s not ied in fame or power iraditional sense. He operates with a kind of detached precision—like someone who’s aware of the bigger picture but has no desire to stand in the spotlight."

  Susan crossed her arms, her brow furrowing slightly as she thought about it. "He’s pying a long game, then. But for what? If he’s not after power, what’s his end goal?"

  "That’s the thing," Reed said, his voice growing quieter as his thoughts aligned. "He doesn’t have the same motivations as others we’ve dealt with. Power, influence, wealth—those things don’t drive him. He’s operating outside the usual lines."

  Susan stood beside Reed, her eyes still on the door Nero had just exited through. After a long silence, she finally asked, “Is he dangerous?”

  Reed, still deep in thought, shook his head slowly. "I doubt it. At least, not in the way we usually think." He paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "I’m not certain, but I feel like his hand is involved in some of the operations we’ve been trag. Heroies."

  Susan’s brow furrowed, clearly surprised by the statement. "Is that your intuition or analysis?" Her tone was a mix of skepticism and curiosity.

  Reed leaned ba his chair, fingers steepling as he mulled over his thoughts. "Both." He turned his gaze toward her, his eyes sharp and calg. "I’ve been going over the is he might have had a hand ihat seemed u first. But the more I ect the dots, the more I see a pattern."

  Susan crossed her arms, leaning against the table beside him. "You think he’s been pying hero behind the ses? That doesn’t fit with the image he projects."

  "Exactly," Reed replied, nodding slightly. "He keeps his profile low, doesn’t seek reition or aowledgment. That’s what makes him so difficult to pin down. He operates outside the usual boundaries—her hero nor vilin, but somewhere iween."

  Susan pohis for a moment, her fingers lightly drumming against the table. "And you’re saying he’s been involved in saving people? Not just taking down threats, but actual heroics?"

  Reed’s eyes flickered with a glint of i. "That’s what I’m starting to believe. He’s too calcuted to make moves without purpose. Some of the chaos he creates is iional, desigo obscure his real work. I’m going to take another look at the data. There’s a e there—I’m certain of it."

  Susan exhaled slowly, her expression thoughtful. "If that’s true, why hide it? Why not just operate like the rest of us?"

  "That’s what makes him an anomaly," Reed said, his voice steady but reflective. "He doesn’t need validation. He’s not pying for the spotlight. His motivations are something else entirely, and until we uand what drives him, we ’t predict his moves."

  Susan uncrossed her arms and looked Reed in the eye, her tone soft but firm. "You think you figure him out?"

  Reed gave a small smile, though there was no humor in it. "It’s only a matter of time. Everyone leaves a trail, no matter how careful they are. The key is iails, and you know how I love details."

  Susa out a short, quiet ugh. "That, I do. But do you think he’ll make another move soon?"

  Reed’s expression shifted slightly, being more focused. "If his ret pattern holds, yes. But we o be ready. He’s not reckless—every move he makes serves a purpose. If we figure out what he’s after, we stay ahead of him."

  Susan nodded, clearly trusting Reed’s judgment. "Do you think he suspects you were testing him in there?"

  Reed’s lips curved into a faint smile, though his eyes remained sharp. "He might have. He’s extremely perceptive, but I didn’t push too hard. He knows I’m studying him, but I doubt he got a full read on my iions."

  Flying through the night sky, Nero felt the familiar rush of wind against his face as he navigated the city from above. The world below passed by in a blur of lights and shadows, but something ahead caught his attention. A glint of metal, moving fast. Without stopping, Nero shifted in the air, watg the object close in on him.

  It was Tony Stark.

  As Iron Man slowed to hover beside him, Tony’s helmet retracted, revealing his exasperated face. "You’re a hard man to find," he said, his tone half-annoyed, half-amused.

  Nero chuckled under his mask. "Why would I want to be found?"

  Tony rolled his eyes, arms crossing over his glowing chestpte. "You said I could seek you out if I ever wao unseal my arc reactor."

  With a snort, Nero responded, "We gave you a way to tact us. You could’ve dohat instead of flying around in your fancy suit."

  "Yeah, well, I like a personal touch." Tony paused, his eyes narrowing slightly as he g Nero’s form. "What is the price I o pay?"

  Nered, “Cssiy, thinks everything be solved with money.” He g the faint blue glow emanating from Tony’s chest. “The price you o pay is a favor.”

  Tony raised an eyebrow, his tone skeptical. “A favor? You sure you don’t want some fancy Stark tech? Maybe a few billion in cash?”

  “Not ied in your toys,” Nero replied ftly, turning his attention back to the cityscape below. “Speaking of toys, tell Jarvis to stop sih whatever new gadget you’ve got running. Unless you want him sealed away for a while.”

  Tony chuckled, but there was an edge of seriouso it. “Hey, you ’t bme a guy for being curious. Besides, Jarvis is just trying to figure out what the hell you are.”

  “Curiosity killed the AI,” Nero shot back. “And trust me, I’m not something you just figure out with some fancy ss.”

  Tony sighed, floating alongside Nero as they moved through the sky. “Fine, fine. No more ss. So, about that favor—what kind of strings are we talking here? You wao join your secret club or something?”

  uro face Tony, “It’s simple. When I call, you answer. No questions, es.”

  Tony’s expression shifted slightly, his usual bravado dimming for a moment. “And how do I know this ‘favor’ won’t nd me in a world of trouble?”

  “You don’t,” Nero replied, his voice calm. “But I’ve got no reason to screw you over, Stark. If I wao, you’d already know.”

  Tony stared at Nero, weighing the offer in his mind before finally sighing and running a hand through his hair. “Alright, deal. But you’re doing it under my watch,” he said, his voice carrying a note nation.

  Nered casually. “Sure, hand it over.”

  Toated for a sed, then reached into his armor, produg the arc reactor from a partment. He ha to Nero, his eyes trag the exge closely. Nero caught it with ease, his e fmes fring briefly before turning an eerie shade of purple for a single sed. With a flick of his wrist, ossed the reactor back to Tony, who caught it midair.

  “Done. You owe me one,” Nero said, his tone nont.

  Tony blinked in surprise, staring at the reactor in his hand. “Just like that?”

  Nero’s masked face didn’t betray aion. “Just like that.”

  Tony gnced down at the reactor, then lifted his wrist to his face, speaking to his AI. “Jarvis, did you capture anything?”

  “ive, sir,” Jarvis responded smoothly. “But I firm the reactor is fully operational again.”

  Tony’s eyes flicked back to Nero, the disbelief evident on his face. “You really know how to keep things mysterious, don’t you?”

  Nero chuckled softly, his voice distorted by the mask. “It’s part of the charm.”

  To out a breath, shaking his head. “Yeah, yeah, I know. A deal’s a deal. But hey—how about we grab something to eat?” His casual suggestion hung in the air, almost too rexed for the seriousness of their exge just moments earlier.

  Nero chuckled softly. “What, you want to undress me, Tony? You’re charming, but not my type.”

  Tony’s eyebrows shot up, and he snorted, clearly amused. “I’ll take that as a pliment,” he shot back, smirking. “But seriously, you ever take a break? Or are you all work, no py?”

  “I py when it’s worth it,” Nero replied smoothly.

  Tony shrugged, falling into an easy hover beside him. “You’re missing out. Best shawarma iy, three blocks that way. And trust me, I’ve been everywhere.”

  “I’ve got other business,” Nero said, dismissing the offer with a wave of his hand. “You eat on your own. I’m sure yo will keep you pany.”

  Tony ughed. “Fair enough. But don’t think this is the st you’ll see of me. ime, maybe I’ll buy you dessert.”

  Nero gave Tony a thumbs-up, the glow of his e mask refleg off the armor. "Sure, I’m sure I suck a pudding with a straw without removing my mask."

  Tony rolled his eyes, grumbling under his breath. "What’s the point of treating you if you won’t eve like a normal human?"

  Nered, h just above the city. "Maybe I’m not a normal human," he replied, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Anyway, enjoy your shawarma."

  Tony huffed, the humor returning to his tone as he tapped his helmet, which folded bato pce. "ime, you’re paying."

  "Sure," Nero said with mothusiasm, already turning away. "I’ll leave a tip too."

  --

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