Shadows and Secrets (A MCU FanFic)

Chapter 37: Lehnsherr

Tony's POV

Erik Lehnsherr was a tall, remarkably good looking guy, for his age. He had graying light brown hair and looked like he often worked out.

He was well dressed—but in a casual way—in dark red and black colors.

He was also in Tony's tower, a structure made almost entirely of metal.

This was a matter of concern because Lehnsherr was a metallokinetic—someone who could psychically manipulate metal.

And he had a reputation for killing humans—that is, non-enhanced people. Tony didn't know how deserving that reputation was.

He looked nice enough though, but Tony knew that didn't mean anything.

"Hello, Marjorie," Lehnsherr said, addressing her only.

She looked up from the book she had in her lap and said, "Hi, Erik," with obvious boredom. Nat shot her a suffering look that Marjorie ignored. Tony wondered how close they were to be on a first name basis.

"Thanks for coming," said Nat politely.

Lehnsherr had adopted Nat's polite tone. "It was not a problem. Though, didn't you wanted to meet with Charles specifically?"

"Oh, not really. Just anyone from the X-men."

"Ah, I see. But about what?"

Tony wasn't really sure how much longer he could take this extremely formal conversation.

"Have you heard–" Nat paused, probably for dramatic effect "–of an organization called HAEIW?"

Lehnsherr's expression darkened significantly. "Yes, we have been looking into it for a week or so."

Nat nodded, not looking surprised at all. "The same for us. I presume you also know about their neutralizer?"

"Only rumors."

"Then you know that they are attempting to create a drug to neutralize a superhuman's ability. We have discovered the location of their base where the neutralizer is being produced."

Lehnsherr raised his eyebrows.

"We would appreciate it if you could coordinate with us to obtain the neutralizer and any further efforts against HAEIW in the future."

Lehnsherr looked at Nat intuitively. "So, you don't want us to get in your way," he summarized.

Tony glanced at Steve. He didn't like this new turn in the conversation, and he would guess that Nat didn't either, though her expression gave no hints either way.

"I wouldn't put it that way, but yes," she said. "And I'm sure that goes the other way around as well."

Smirking a little, Lehnsherr said, "Fair enough. But why work together? Just give me the information, and we can do it ourselves."

Nat crossed her arms, finally appearing annoyed. Tony knew how much this would bother her, Nat hated being left out. "And why should we do that?"

Steve glanced to and from Nat and Lehnsherr, and Marjorie finally looked up from her book.

"You are children. This is too dangerous."

Tony felt a prickle of irritation that he was sure was mirrored in the other three.

Nat opened her mouth—probably to say something not very nice—when Marjorie interrupted. "Oh, not this again," she complained with an eye roll.

Everyone stared at her and she explained, "It's always 'you can't go on the mission, you're too young' and 'you can't do this thing because it's so dangerous and so scary oohh'."

Lehnsherr sighed.

"We're going," said Nat. "Non-negotiable. You can either come with us or stay out of our way."

Lehnsherr narrowed his eyes. "Alright, I'll come. But I'm in charge."

"Fine," Nat said.

They finalized the plan for the mission with minimal input from Tony and Steve; Nat and Lehnsherr agreed that they would go themselves, with Marjorie as backup and Clint flying the plane. Everyone else would be left out.

Tony would normally argue about coming too, but something about going on a mission with Magneto in a suit entirely made of a gold alloy creeped him out.

The four would leave in the jet at around six tomorrow, and return from the base in Alaska with a sample of the neutralizer drug to analyze.

Lehnsherr agreed to come back to the tower thirty minutes prior and glided out the door, with a wink aimed at Marjorie.

As the meeting ended and everyone slowly left, Tony saw Marjorie do something odd, Leaving, she stopped, turned around, and waved cheerfully at an empty corner.

Right where the security camera was.

Marjorie walked past him and out the door, leaving Tony alone in the room.

Tony frowned. The camera was hidden, but it was highly possible that she knew where it was. Marjorie, although distant from reality, was very smart and had probably been in the security room where she could have seen the security camera feeds.

It was very odd. Marjorie had behaved like she knew that someone had been watching.

Or maybe not.

Waving to nonexistent people was not too out of character for the spacey blonde.

Tony suddenly turned around and headed to the security room. Maybe someone had been watching from there, and Marjorie had... sensed their presence or whatever she did to track people.

They could still be in the security room!

Tony sped up, now running.

Even if they had snuck out already, they would still be caught on camera. Tony had cameras in every room. (Except for bathrooms, and most of the Avengers had disabled the cameras in their bedrooms.)

But when he got to the security room, it was empty. And when he checked the feed from the security room during the meeting, there was nothing.

~

"—and then there was nothing on the security feed!" he told Steve.

Steve sighed. "I think you're reading too much into this," he said patiently. "It was probably just Marjorie being weird."

"Yeah, you're probably right." But Tony couldn't shake this uncomfortable nervous paranoid feeling.