A Beautiful Threat (July 1998)

Natalya Sokolova was the shining jewel in the SSB's crown. She had been hand created by the SSB's director, Tatiana, using what was left of the Super Soldier Serum. Natalya had been raised to be the best agent the SSB had ever seen. She was fast, strong, resilient, and she was incredibly beautiful. She SSB used her to get what they wanted. Natalya was like a beautiful, exotic poisonous flower...beautiful to look at, but deadly. At 23 she was everything Tatiana had wanted her to be and she decided to test Natalya with an extremely dangerous mission. Now that Tatiana knew that she could create super agents, she decided she wanted more. However, there was no more Super Soldier Serum to be found...that is until she heard that Tony and Isabella Stark were currently searching for Steve Rogers. His plane had gone down during WWII into some frigid waters and apparently Tony and Isabella believed he could still be alive...but frozen. She needed Natalya to go deep undercover and go through SHIELD to get onto the team Tony and Isabella were assembling. She needed Natalya to take a sample from his spine and bring it back to her. Unfortunately, Natalya was starting to make a reputation for herself around the world and was on SHIELD's radar. She was going to need to disguise herself. Using another deep cover agent, Tatiana was able to ascertain that SHIELD's director, Nick Fury, also wanted some of Steve's DNA. Tatiana began to put together a plan to get Natalya into SHIELD. Natalya would go undercover disguised as Colleen McCallister, a former MIT Cryogenics grad student who had been working at Oscorp for the past several years. Natalya would kill Colleen and gain Fury's trust and then use him to get onto the team Tony and Isabella were assembling. This was a delicate operation, but Tatiana believed Natalya could do it.

Natalya's dark hair was bleached blonde and she wore contacts with blue Iris' in order to look like Colleen. She was Colleen's height and weight and with a pair of glasses she was the striking image of her. All of Natalya's credentials were faked and she even knew Colleen's Social Security number. The prep work took two months before everything was ready and Natalya was sent to New York. They knew that Colleen was scheduled to have a meeting with Nick regarding leaving Oscorp and coming to SHIELD. Natalya found Colleen's apartment and murdered her bloodlessly. Natalya then disposed of her body before heading to SHIELD.

Nick was under the gun. He knew that Tony Stark was going to conduct a search for the lost aircraft that Captain America had gone down in. It was a longshot that the man was even alive but he had read the capabilities of the Super Soldier Serum and if Steve Rogers survived the crash, it would be possible for him to still be alive, albeit frozen. He had learned this through Phil Coulson, his right hand man in SHIELD. He had supposedly gone down in a bomber plane that had been designed and launched by HYDRA. By the Red Skull himself. He still doubted that Tony had the ability to find Captain America, let alone find him alive. In lieu of that, Nick wanted to cover his bets. He needed an expert in the field that could not only help Tony Stark revive Steve but also to obtain a DNA sample from Steve through his spinal cord.

He had met with Colleen because she was one of the world's most renown specialist on cryogenic calibration. Apparently Tony Stark, in his quest, was looking for a Cryogenic specialist and he had found one that had the good looks so that Tony made her one of the members of his team.

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Colleen had begged for her life but Natalya was beyond such things. She had no compassion or emotion. Cold brutality allowed her to do what she had been bred to do. Colleen had pleaded for her life but her pleas had fallen upon deaf ears.

In the meeting with Nick, Natalya had intelligent questions, convincing concerns and displayed her knowledge on the subject matter. All Nick needed to do was to expose her to Tony Stark who, when he saw her, would certainly want her on his team.

So far this mission had been so easy it bordered on boring. Natalya met with Nick Fury and Phil Coulson and was able to answer their question, ask intelligent questions of her own, and displayed impressive knowledge on the subject matter. She could sense some hesitation from Phil and perhaps some distrust, but Nick seemed to trust her enough and ordered Phil to introduce her to Tony and Isabella Stark. They needed to get her onto their team and Nick knew that they were looking for a Cryogenic's Specialist.

Coulson arranged the meeting and escorted Colleen over to the Tower. Happy met them at security and Natalya discreetly watched as Happy typed in a security password for the elevator. The security at the Tower was impressive. The doors opened on the main living level to a wide open space. There appeared to be a living room, kitchen, and dining room and then there was a hallway leading to more rooms. She knew that Tony and Isabella had recently had a baby and she could see evidence of that around her. Suddenly, she heard voices and footsteps and she looked over to see Isabella and Tony approach from down the hallway. Isabella smiled warmly at Colleen.

"It's so nice to meet you Dr. McCalister," Isabella said as she extended her hand.

Isabella had just put the baby down. The feedings were happening every few hours still and Isabella was pretty much always tired. She always had a water bottle in her hand though. She needed vast amounts of water to offset what the baby was taking from her. Water and healthy foods.

Tony smiled when he saw the scientist. This Colleen McCalister was knockout gorgeous! He shook her hand right after Isabella. "We're happy to have you on the team Dr. McCalister. You come highly recommended. We have a room for you, here is your keycard," Tony said and handed her a thin, white card. "You'll need to press your thumb there," he showed her where on the card. "And hold it for several seconds. "It will set to your specific biorhythm. You will have access to your rooms, this main living area, the gym and pool and the front part of the lab. All of the things you'll need are already there for you. Since we have time though, feel free to do whatever you want," He said as Logan came out of his room to see what all the hub bub was about. His nose picked up her scent right away and his feet moved that way.

Tony saw Logan coming and grinned. "And this is Logan aka, The Wolverine," He said. "Logan's fine," Logan said with a grin and his eyes sparkled with that look he had when he was looking at something he really liked. Logan extended his hand to her. "You look more like a model than a Doctor," Logan complimented.

Isabella was rather self conscious about her body after having the baby and seeing the way Tony and Logan smiled at Colleen didn’t help. She discreetly nudged Tony and gave him a look.

Natalya looked over at Logan and she gave him a little smile and forced herself to blush at what he said to Colleen. “I don’t think that’s true, but thank you. Maybe you could show me around.”

Tony looked briefly at Isabella when she nudged him and he saw that dangerous loon in her eyes. He had seen that look several times and only then did he realize what he was doing. Fawning over their new guest! But she was hot. Tony decided he should find something else to do.

“I’ll be on the lab,” he said. “Alright, follow me,” Logan said.

Isabella watched Tony slink away with his tail between his legs. She was about to go follow him when she heard Serena start to cry. She sighed and went to go check up on her.

Natalya walked with Logan as he showed “Colleen” around. She made some mental notes in her head of things she saw. “So, how close would you say Mr. Stark is to finding Steve Rogers?”

"Oh, I'm not certain about that. When he knows, he will let us know I guess. Its how it usually goes with him. So this is Kitchen ofcourse. They keep it fully stocked," He said as he gestured around the space. "Over here is the main living area. A projector TV, surround sound system, movie library and more cable channels than you'll know what to do with," he said. "There's a late night scary movie theatre that I like to catch when I can. Their old, black and white movies but i find I really enjoy em," Logan admitted. He checked out her butt when she stepped ahead of him. And checked out her chest when she looked at all the electronics. She was VERY hot, he thought.

"Colleen" smiled as she listened to Logan and followed him around. Logan wasn't exactly hot in the traditional sense, but there was something very masculine and almost...animalistic about him that she liked. He was rough around the edges and likely could keep up with her in bed. She smiled over at him and her eyes met his. "Well, maybe I'll have to join you one night to watch some of those movies. Just a word of warning though, I don't do well with scary movies so I might grab on to you. I hope that would be ok..."

She smiled inwardly at his reaction. She felt she needed to gain Logan's trust and he was clearly into "Colleen" so she used that to her advantage. "So, which room is mine?"

"Your room is just one door down from the elevator," he said as he shifted gears and moved toward the room. It wasn't just a room, it was a small apartment. It had a large sleigh bed and matching furniture. A desk, chairs, a small dining table and a kitchenette. "The freezer is stocked with microwavable foods and there are all sorts of beverages in there. Plenty of beer and wine and something stronger in the cupboard should the mood hit you. Over here is the bathroom," he said. "As you can see, a walk in shower and a large jet tub. Plenty of room for two people," Logan said though he didn't realize how suggestive his words were.

"Did you want to see the gym or the pool? The hot tub or sauna?" he asked.

Natalya was impressed by the small apartment that she was being given. It had just about everything someone would need and seemed comfortable enough. She glanced inside the freezer and then followed Logan over to the bathroom. It was nicer than the one she had at with the SSB. She couldn't help but glance over at him when he mentioned that the jetted tub was big enough for two people.

"I should actually probably get unpacked and get settled in," she said when Logan asked her if she wanted to continue the tour. "But perhaps we could get a drink later."

Logan nodded and smiled at that. "Sure thing," he said as he left her to it.

Tony had maps on the large table and he had been narrowing down the planes flight path through reports, accounts of what happened and where the plane had taken off. Some were conflicting but he thought had had a general idea of where to look. The fact that it was going to be very cold had him already working on climate control in his suit. After a while he decided to go and see how Isabella was managing.

Isabella had been effected more by Tony's looks towards Colleen than perhaps he had known. Of course, Isabella trusted him and didn't believe he was going to do anything, but because she felt so self conscious she couldn't help but feel jealous and upset.

She had finished feeding Serena and had changed her before putting her back down to sleep. She then walked back to their bedroom and opened up the top drawer of her dresser. She pulled out several sexy, lacy lingerie pieces that Tony had given her over the years, but that she hadn't worn since becoming pregnant and then having Serena. She was still getting rid of the baby weight and her lower abs didn't feel quite as tight as they had been before. She put on the black piece that Tony had given her for their first wedding anniversary and sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror.

Tony had quietly stepped into the bedroom. If the baby was just falling to sleep he did not want to wake her. That had happened in the past but what he saw was not Isabella holding the baby. Obviously she had already put Serena down. He stepped up behind Isabella as she looked at herself in the mirror. He snaked his arms around her before she could get away. "Now there is the sexy wife I married. I knew she was somewhere nearby," He said as he kissed her cheek close to her ear.

"I love you Isabella," He whispered as his hands moved down to her hips.

Isabella saw Tony appear and step up behind her. However, before she could step away he managed to get his arms around her and he held her to him. She had been hoping to feel better about herself, but what Tony said only seemed to make her feel worse. She pulled back away from him and grabbed her robe and put it around herself and cinched it closed.

"So, you're saying the only way I'm sexy is when I wear something like this? Versus Dr. McCallister, who walked in here wearing a suit, and you and Logan couldn't stop staring at her."

Tony frowned and held up his hands as if she were holding a knife to his throat just then. "Whoa whoa whoa, where is this defensiveness coming from babe?" Tony asked. "I am a red blooded man. That 'was' who you married," he said as he tilted his head and grinned at her. Tony and Isabella's sex life had slowed down significantly since the baby came. For one Isabella was always tired though she had started pumping and once in a while Tony did get up to feed the baby by bottled breast milk but that was a rare occurrence. The one time she fell asleep during sex had been a pretty awful moment for Tony. Isabella was most definitely the primary care giver and Tony, when he was there was in the lab most of the time. Nearly obsessed with his quest to find the lost Captain America.

"I tell you you look sexy and you're angry because I didn't tell you that in front of Colleen?" He said not realizing he had used her first name just then.

Isabella's eyes widened slightly when Tony referred to Dr. McCalister as "Colleen." "So, you two are on a first name basis at this point?" Isabella knew she was being a little ridiculous, but she felt she had a right to be slightly defensive. She was exhausted and was getting very little help from Tony when it came to nightly feedings. He had been upset when she had fallen asleep during sex that one time, but she hadn't been able to help it. Isabella also felt left out of the mission to find Captain America and that wasn't helping either.

"I just want things to go back to the way they were before," she finally admitted. "Before Serena, you used to look at me the way you looked at Dr. McCalister when I was wearing sweats. I feel...left out and suddenly replaced on the team..."

Tony felt at his temple as he listened to Isabella. She didn't have to do any of this and yet here they were. It irritated...no angered Tony for her to be saying these things and he just lashed out. "Well, I might have had some complicity in all of this but you made the decision. You did, or did you suddenly forget about that? I can take things one day at a time Isabella. I've been doing that most of my adult life. But you expect me to be who you need me. You saw 'Dr. McCallister'. You know she's pretty, should I not be accommodating and nice to someone whose trying to help us? I can't help that she's attractive but it's you who I want to be with Isabella. And it's you who keeps turning me away," Tony said.

"Does it make you feel good to put me off? And don't tell me you haven't seen me jerking off in the shower because that's all I got right now," Tony said.

Isabella sighed and shook her head and then looked at her husband. "You think I don't want to have sex? Well, I do, but I need to feel that you think I still look beautiful or am attractive and not just when you want sex. Right now I'm feeling completely self conscious and that doesn't exactly put me in the mood. I need to feel wanted...and not just in bed. And I want a job. I'm going a little stir crazy. I want to help with this mission in some way. Please, just let me do something so I feel like I still have a place on the team...please."

Tony just looked at her. The woman just wanted what she wanted and what was Tony to do about it. In lightning strike it came to him. "Find a nanny for Serena. Find one and I will see what I can do. Until then, you have a job, taking care of Serena and our home. I can't do what I need to do without you doing that. Get a nanny, get a maid, I don't care. But our household needs to maintain and right now that's your job," Tony said. "Do you understand what I'm saying?" He asked snappishly but he wanted his words to be clear. What he was doing was not some desk job. It could mean alot to the world and his own wife was bored being a mother and a home maker.

Isabella just looked at Tony for a moment before responding. "Yes," was all she said. "I have to go start on dinner," she added before picking up her clothes and going into the bathroom to get changed. She came out and then went to the kitchen to start on dinner. She brought a baby monitor with her in case Serena woke up.

Meanwhile, "Colleen" walked down to the lab where she found Tony. She smiled warmly at him. "I thought maybe I would look around if that's alright."

Tony looked up from his desk as he was plotting possible courses. When he saw her instinctively he shifted a few of the maps to cover the one he had been working on. The problem was though that the top most map was the most likely trajectory of the plane. His covering up the map he was working on though made it seem that the one he covered up was the most important. He smiled up at her.

"Uh...Just the main lab though Dr. McCalister. There is sensitive materials past the door," He said. And all of his newest repulsor tech out for anyone to see should they move past the door. He leaned back in his chair and didn't realize he was looking at her hips.

"What can I help you with? we're not far from running tests. The first batch of tissue should be here in 2 days. How are you doing here? Does it feel like home yet? If you have a craving for anything, just say, 'Jarvis, I'd like some chocolate cake. The next thing you know, it'll be in the next shopping list. We have a guy that does that for us," He said.

Natalya noticed that Tony seemed to shift and cover up whatever it was he had been working on. She could see maps and she guessed that they had to do with locating Steve Rogers plane. She began to think that if she could discover the trajectory of the plane and transmit that information to the SSB then they could locate it first and she could get out here. Although getting Logan and/or Tony into bed first was a goal she was set on. She knew Tony had been quite the womanizer before he married and she guessed that since their baby had only just been born two months ago that there wasn't a whole lot of sex happening. Tony was eyeing her just as much as Logan was and she quite enjoyed the attention.

"This place is amazing," she said with a smile. "You know they still talk about you at MIT and all of your achievements," she said to stroke his ego a little. "So, does Mrs. Stark help you in the lab at all?"

"Not usually, she's not much of an inventor but once in a while, I need a small set of hands," He said honestly.

"Well I should hope so," he said in response to her mention of MIT. "I submitted more patents in my freshman year than the entire student body," he said, soaking up the praise. "Cryogenics is a fairly new field of study, what made you tun that corner?" Tony asked. He knew a little bit about it, he had recently read a text book on the subject...overnight.

Natalya wasn't entirely sure what to say. She didn't know Colleen's reason for choosing that field of study, but no one else did either so she would just make something up and lie. "I chose it because it is a new field of study. It was different and up and coming and seemed to be able to be used in different applications. I must say though that you keep revolutionizing science and technology faster than everyone else can keep up with." She looked at him and let her eyes meet his and she held his gaze for a few moments, which was quite a bold and in some ways rather intimate move.