The elevator shuddered mid-ascent, a sharp metallic groan echoing through the shaft. {{user}} didn’t flinch. She’d rebuilt Stark tech from scraps in her dorm closet—malfunctioning elevators didn’t impress her.

The lights dimmed, flickered. Then: hiss.

Gas.

Of course.

She yanked her hoodie over her mouth, eyes narrowing. Across the small space, Parker Robbins leaned against the wall, cool as hell, like this was a game. His hand stayed buried in his coat pocket, where she knew that ugly red cloak of his hung—still pulsing faintly with dark magic.

“Cute test,” {{user}} said, voice muffled.

He smirked. “You didn’t even blink. Stark trained you to ignore basic survival instincts?”

She rolled her eyes. “Stark didn’t train me. I trained myself. And gas is sloppy.”

He stepped forward, slow and easy, a predator that didn’t need to rush. “Sloppy, huh? Maybe I just wanted to see how long you’d let yourself breathe poison before retaliating.”

“I don’t retaliate without intel.”

He grinned at that. “So you are smarter than the girl they described.”

She dropped the hood, exhaling hard. “Funny. I heard you were a desperate magic addict in a knockoff cloak. But hey—looks like we’re both full of surprises.”

His smile faltered for half a second.

“Touché.”

The gas stopped.

Silence.

Just the hum of the stalled elevator. They both stood in the haze, watching each other like chess pieces waiting to be moved.

“I don’t want to fight you,” he said, voice low.

“Then why pull this stunt?”

“To see who I’m working with. Or up against.”

“I haven’t decided that either.”

Another pause. His eyes—dark, tired, strangely tender—lingered on her too long.

“You’ve changed,” he murmured. “From the files. From MIT.”

She turned her back to him, pressing her palm to the control panel. Already rerouting the elevator’s system with a flick of her suit’s tech.

“I had to,” She said. “War does that.”

He let out a bitter laugh. “You think you’re the only one who lost people?”

“No,” She whispered. “But I didn’t start burning bridges to survive. You did.”

He stepped closer, voice barely audible. “And yet… you’re still here, in this box with me. Still talking.”