Alex barely slept that night.
When he did, the nightmares came.
The jogger's terrified face.
Her trembling voice.
"Don't… touch me…"
His eyes snapped open, his heart pounding.
"It was just a dream…"
But it wasn't.
"They're still looking."
The news was quieter today.
No new headlines.
No DNA reports.
Just… silence.
"Why?"
That was the part that scared him.
"Why aren't they saying anything?"
The Avengers weren't idiots.
If they'd found something, they wouldn't broadcast it.
Not yet.
"They're keeping it quiet…"
He could feel it.
"They're watching."
Waiting.
"For me to slip up."
Alex kept to the crowded streets.
Blending in.
Staying invisible.
But it didn't matter.
"They'll find me eventually."
As he walked down 5th Avenue, his eyes wandered.
"Just stay calm…"
Focus.
Breathe.
But then…
He saw her.
A woman walking just ahead of him.
Tight yoga pants hugging her curves.
A sports bra that barely contained her chest.
Her skin glistened with sweat from a morning jog.
"Don't look."
His jaw clenched.
"Don't—"
His eyes dipped.
"Shit."
The heat hit him like a truck.
A sudden, familiar tingle surged through his body.
His pants tightened.
"No. No. No."
His fingers brushed against the Omnitrix.
It was warm.
Too warm.
[Host integrity maintained.]
The voice echoed softly in his head.
"Not now…"
He clenched his fists, trying to will the heat away.
But his body had other ideas.
His cock twitched, throbbing against his jeans.
"Fuck…"
The woman slowed down, stretching her arms above her head.
Her toned abs flexed, her curves on full display.
"You've gotta be kidding me…"
Alex tore his eyes away, focusing on the pavement.
"Just keep walking."
But the damage was done.
The heat refused to fade.
His cock pulsed with frustration, trapped against the fabric.
"I can't take this…"
He forced himself to breathe.
"Calm. Down."
Alex's fingers brushed over the device again.
It wasn't glowing.
It wasn't making any noise.
But he felt it.
"It's always there…"
Lurking.
Waiting.
"Like it wants this."
Even as he walked through the city, the feeling lingered.
Every glance at a passing woman—
A flicker of heat.
Every tight outfit, every curve—
His cock twitched, reminding him of the hunger that never fully went away.
"I can't live like this…"
He gritted his teeth, his nails digging into his palms.
"I can't keep fighting it."
Meanwhile…
Inside Stark Tower, the air was tense.
"Anything yet?" Steve asked, his voice low.
Stark didn't look up.
"Not a peep."
His eyes stayed locked on the holographic display.
Energy signatures. Surveillance footage.
"But it's out there."
Natasha leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
"And you're sure it's not showing up on any of our systems?"
Stark's jaw clenched.
"Not the usual way."
Bruce adjusted his glasses, frowning at the data.
"There's a pattern. It's faint… but it's shifting. Almost like…"
"Like it's adapting," Stark finished, his voice tight.
Natasha's expression hardened.
"It knows we're looking."
"Good."
Stark's eyes narrowed.
"Let it run."
Alex leaned against a brick wall in an alley, his breathing ragged.
"I can't keep this up…"
His body was betraying him.
His mind was breaking.
And the Avengers…
"They're closing in."
"I need to get out."
But where?
"I can't leave the city."
If he ran, they'd find him.
If he stayed…
"I'll lose control again."
"I'm screwed."