Part 2: Controlled Breaks
Location: Avengers Tower, Cafeteria Time: Midday
Riven stepped into the cafeteria with quiet steps and a level gaze. The moment he entered, conversation dimmed. Staff paused, agents looked up from trays, and every eye caught the same thing:
He had changed.
Not just the defined muscle lines beneath his shirt or the posture honed by countless hours of training. It was something colder. Calmer. His eyes were focused, calculating, but silent—as if always watching for something they couldn't see.
The man who once looked fragile now moved like a predator in hibernation. Still, but ready. Composed, but dangerous.
He collected his food without saying a word, then walked toward the quieter corner of the room.
Wanda and Natasha had been seated near the glass wall, observing quietly.
Wanda nudged Natasha without looking away. "He's different."
"Focused," Natasha replied. "Every movement has weight now. Like he's thinking five steps ahead."
Wanda tilted her head slightly. "He doesn't look lost anymore. Just... contained."
Truth was, both of them had been watching him over the last few weeks. Not officially. Not in any structured mission debrief.
But in silent curiosity. Quiet concern.
What they saw now wasn't a weapon forged by Hydra.
It was something self-made.
And that made it even more dangerous.