Marvelous Meditations #73

Nathan turned back to Baron Blood, ready to continue questioning him—only to pause, his expression darkening.

The vampire’s body had already begun to change.

A thick, crimson mist curled off his form, consuming him from the torso up, his head and shoulders already dissolving into vapor. He was escaping.

Nathan’s grip on the Muramasa Blade tightened.

Not today.

With a sharp exhale, he swung downward, the cursed steel whistling through the air, aiming to bisect Baron Blood at the waist.

But the vampire was quicker.

Just before the blade could split him in two, Baron Blood twisted the last solid part of his body away, leaving only his left leg behind.

The sword struck true.

A wet, slicing sound filled the air as Baron Blood’s leg was severed clean from the thigh down. The dismembered limb collapsed onto the ground, but the rest of him…

The misty remains of his form swirled, then scattered into the air, carried by an unseen force.

His voice, now a ghostly, disembodied growl, lingered in the space between them.

"This isn't over, Cross. I will have my revenge…"

And then, just like that—he was gone.

Nathan watched the last tendrils of mist dissipate into the dark sky, his expression unreadable. The whispers started almost immediately.

The Muramasa Blade hummed, an eerie, malevolent pulse running through its steel, the ghostly murmurs scratching at the edges of Nathan’s mind.

It always did this. Like a child throwing a tantrum after being denied more playtime.

Nathan exhaled sharply through his nose and sheathed the blade in one fluid motion. The whispers subsided, retreating back into silence.

He turned toward Tony and Pepper, who were still trying to process the absolute insanity that had just unfolded before them.

Nathan gave a small nod. “That takes care of that.”

Tony frowned at him, his expression caught between bemusement and sheer exasperation.

He gestured vaguely at the spot where Baron Blood had just disappeared.

“You make it sound like we’re supposed to know what that was.”He let out a tired breath, rubbing his temple before adding, “Speaking of which—what the hell was that?”

Nathan shrugged, completely unfazed.

“A Nazi vampire.”

Tony stared at him.

Then blinked.

Once.

Twice.

“Yeah, that checks out…”

There was a pause. Then Tony’s face twisted slightly as if his own words finally caught up to him.

“…Actually, no. No, it absolutely does not check out. What the hell do you mean a Nazi vampire? Are we seriously doing this now?”

Nathan didn’t answer, simply watching as Tony ran a hand through his disheveled hair, sighing deeply.

“Y’know what?” Tony finally muttered. “I don’t even have the energy to process this.”

He pointed a finger at Nathan. “I will ask you this, though—what the hell are you doing here?”

Tony’s exhausted expression didn’t waver as he waited for an answer.

Nathan met his gaze, completely unfazed. "I'm here on the Vice President’s commission," he stated flatly. "My people and I were sent to extract President Ellis."

Tony frowned, narrowing his eyes. “And how’s that going?”

Nathan exhaled through his nose. "The President's dead."

Tony blinked. "What?!" His voice spiked in alarm, his fatigue instantly replaced by sharp concern. “How the hell did that happen?!”

Nathan remained as unshaken as ever. “Your buddy Rhodes wanted the armor back so he could fly Ellis to safety.” He gestured vaguely toward the wreckage of the docks. "The problem is, someone took advantage of that and put a hole in Ellis' chest."

Tony’s stomach dropped. His mind raced, trying to piece together what went wrong—who was responsible.

Nathan’s gaze flickered to the buildings overlooking the docks. “My people are already hunting for the shooter.” His voice remained calm, methodical. “But I’m not here to talk about that.”

Tony snapped his head back toward him, eyes flashing. “Oh, yeah? Sure. Because I’m absolutely sure there’s a hundred topics more important than the assassination of the President of the United States.”

Nathan shrugged. “To you?” He tilted his head slightly, his tone casual. “I reckon there’s one topic that matters more.”

Tony’s frown deepened. “Yeah? And what’s that?”

Nathan’s eyes shifted briefly to Pepper Potts.

“The condition of Miss Potts here.”

Tony immediately turned to Pepper, his brows knitting in concern before his gaze snapped back to Nathan. “Yeah? What about her condition?”

Nathan’s face remained unreadable. “She’s infected with an unstable Super Soldier Serum.” Nathan continued, his tone calm—clinical, almost. "It’s a ticking time bomb, Stark. If left unchecked, she’ll—" He trailed off for a beat, then exhaled. “She’ll turn into fireworks.”

Pepper let out a quiet, sharp breath, her knuckles going white as she instinctively hugged herself, reminded of her impending doom.

Tony’s chest tightened.

He already knew about Pepper’s condition. The instability, the risk—he’d seen it firsthand. And it was his fault. He was the one who put her in harm’s way, the one who let her get tangled up in this mess.

But he’d fix it.

That’s what he does.

He exhaled sharply, squared his shoulders, and shook his head.

"Thanks for the offer, but I’m pretty sure I can figure it out on my own." His tone was firm, self-assured. He turned toward Pepper and shot her a signature Stark smirk. "You believe in me, babe, don’t you?"

Pepper let out a breath, her lips pressing together as she searched his face. There was worry in her eyes—concern, doubt—but she trusted him.

Nathan sighed. "Well, Killian did try to strong-arm you into fixing the serum, so yeah, I don’t doubt your ability to pull it off." He paused, then tilted his head slightly. "Still… how long would it take?"

Tony’s smirk dimmed slightly.

Nathan’s voice remained level, pragmatic. "How much time does Miss Potts have left?"

Tony’s jaw tightened.

Nathan crossed his arms. "Why take the risk when an immediate solution is sitting right in front of you?"

Tony opened his mouth—ready to fire back, to dismiss the argument—but the words died before they left his lips.

Because the bastard was right.

He hated it. Hated it. But he couldn’t argue with the truth.

His fingers curled into fists before he exhaled sharply through his nose.

"Alright." His voice was tight, reluctant. "And how exactly do you plan on fixing this?"

Nathan’s expression remained unreadable. "That depends on what Miss Potts wants."

Pepper blinked, her brows knitting together. "What I want?"

Nathan nodded. "I can neutralize the serum completely—like it never existed. No enhancements, no side effects. Just back to normal."

Pepper swallowed, but before she could speak, Nathan continued.

"Or… I can stabilize it. Make it so you keep all the advantages—enhanced strength, healing, everything—without the risk of, you know, spontaneously combusting."

Pepper’s lips parted slightly, her breath catching.

Nathan glanced at Tony, then added, almost as an afterthought—"Of course, the second option isn’t permanent. Even if I stabilize it, the serum can still be removed later if you change your mind."

Silence hung between them.

Pepper slowly turned toward Tony. For once, he had no quick retort, no deflection.

Because this wasn’t his decision.

A beat of silence.

Pepper’s lips pressed into a thin line as she studied Nathan’s expression. Then, finally, she spoke—not with an answer, but with a question.

“What will this cost us?”

Nathan’s lips curled into a smirk. "Not much. Just the blueprints for the Arc Reactor."

The moment those words left his mouth, Tony’s face darkened. His easygoing demeanor evaporated, and a sharp, dangerous glint flickered in his eyes. His jaw clenched.

Before he could explode, Pepper stepped forward, her voice like steel. "Absolutely not."

She squared her shoulders and met Nathan’s gaze head-on. "The Arc Reactor is the foundation of Stark Industries, not to mention the threat it would pose if it fell into the wrong hands." Her tone was resolute, unwavering. "I'd rather take my chances than hand over that technology."

Nathan remained unphased.

"I can sign a binding contract ensuring I won’t use the Arc Reactor commercially if that’s what you're worried about," he offered smoothly. "As for it falling into the wrong hands—well, I was hired by the Vice President, and my company has a clean record. Feel free to dig into it anytime."

Pepper’s expression didn’t change, but Nathan saw the hesitation.

It wasn’t much, just a flicker—a tiny crack in her resolve. She still didn’t trust him, but she was considering his words, weighing them.

And then Nathan’s gaze shifted to Tony.

Stark hadn’t spoken yet, but Nathan could tell—the gears were turning. There was something else on his mind.

Nathan let his smirk deepen.

"You know what? Let me sweeten the deal."

Tony’s brow arched. He didn’t say anything, but his eyes narrowed, waiting.

Nathan tilted his head slightly. "Remember when I insinuated that President Ellis’ death was on the hands of your pal Rhodes?"

Silence.

"Well... it is."

Tony’s face barely twitched, but Nathan caught the slightest flicker of unease.

Nathan pressed on.

"The people upstairs? They’re gonna roast him alive for that blunder. Losing his job will be the least of his worries." He let the words hang in the air for a moment before adding, almost casually—"Not unless I help him, of course."

The air felt colder.

Tony stared at him.

Nathan barely acknowledged the way Tony was staring at him, his expression shifting between frustration and reluctant consideration. Instead, he spoke evenly, his voice carrying the weight of someone used to making deals in rooms filled with power players.

"I have connections—SHIELD, people in high places. I can make sure they go easy on Rhodes." He let that sink in for a moment before adding, "And once my men catch the shooter, I can transfer the credit to him."

He crossed his arms, tilting his head slightly as he added one last bargaining chip. "And if that isn't enough, I can even return the Stark Industries shares that are in my name." He smirked. "For the right price, of course."

Tony exhaled sharply, rubbing the bridge of his nose like he was trying to physically press away the headache forming behind his eyes. For a few moments, he was silent—thinking. Weighing the options.

Finally, he let out a long breath and nodded. "Fine."

Pepper’s head snapped toward him, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You're not seriously considering—"

"I know," Tony cut her off, his tone sharper than before. "I know it’s stupid. But what choice do we have?"

His gaze flickered to her, softer now but still heavy with exhaustion. "I might— might —be able to crack Extremis before you hit the point of no return. But Rhodey?" He shook his head, frustration evident. "He's up to his neck in shit, Pep."

She wanted to argue. Nathan could see it in the way her hands clenched, the way her breath hitched just slightly. But then she caught the look on Tony’s face—the mix of determination and exhaustion. She knew her words would fall on deaf ears. So instead, she let out a quiet, defeated sigh and shook her head.

Nathan, ever the opportunist, took that as his cue to wrap things up.

Tony turned to him, his voice edged with resignation. "So, how are we doing this?"

Nathan shrugged. "I'll swing by Stark Industries tomorrow with the cure." He gestured toward Pepper. "In the meantime, Miss Potts can think about whether she wants to keep Extremis or purge it completely."

He started to turn but then added, almost as an afterthought, "And while I’m at it, I’ll make arrangements to keep your pal Rhodes out of trouble."

Tony just nodded, the fight seemingly drained from him.

Nathan finally moved to leave, but not before grabbing something—Baron Blood’s discarded prosthetic arm. He studied it for a moment, rolling it in his grip with mild amusement before continuing his stride.

'The last time I cut off one of his limbs,' Nathan mused to himself, 'he brought me a prosthetic made of vibranium.'

He smirked.

'Now that I’ve taken a hand and a leg… I wonder what he’ll bring me next.'