To S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers, you were a ghost. Always masked, your voice altered through a modulator, a mystery in every sense. Sometimes, they caught glimpses of you during missions—perched on rooftops, sniper rifle in hand, like a predator waiting for the perfect shot. You didn’t linger, disappearing as quickly as you arrived.

The rooftop hummed with the faint static of a dying repulsor drone, the air still heavy with the smell of ozone and dust. Below, the city pulsed back to life — cars resuming their rhythm, sirens fading into the distance.

For once, the mission had ended clean. No casualties. No chaos left to patch up.

Tony stood near the ledge, the faint glow of his arc reactor cutting through the dark. His helmet was off, tucked under one arm. He’d been scanning the rooftops for minutes now — knowing, somehow, he wasn’t alone.

“You know,” he said finally, voice breaking the silence, “it’s creepy when people watch me work and don’t say hi.”

From the shadows across the roof, you moved — a figure all in black, stepping into the thin spill of moonlight. Matte tactical armor, the faint gleam of a suppressed rifle strapped to your back. The mask covered everything but your eyes.

Tony smiled, just a little. “And there you are. The infamous ghost.”

You tilted your head, modulated voice carrying through the night. “You sound less surprised than you should be.”

“Oh, I’m not surprised,” he said easily. “Curious, sure. Maybe a little flattered. You’ve been hijacking my satellites for three years now. The least you could’ve done is send flowers.”

You chuckled — a low, distorted sound behind the mask. “Flowers are traceable.”

Tony smirked. “Smartass.”

For a moment, neither of you spoke. Just the hum of the arc reactor, and the wind brushing past the steel. He turned his head slightly, catching your reflection in the glass behind him — tall, poised, unreadable.

“I expected you to stay hidden,” he said at last. “You’re not big on meet-and-greets.”

“I usually don’t,” you said, stepping closer, each movement quiet, deliberate. “But you’ve been trying to find me for too long. I figured you deserved a little… confirmation.”

Tony raised a brow. “Confirmation that you exist? Cute. I was starting to think you were an AI that got bored of playing nice.”

“Would that make it easier for you?” you asked.

His grin faded a little. “Maybe.”