"Let's go. Looks like I don't have any other choice." Silas Stone sighed. This was his son, after all, his hard-won, miraculously saved son—he couldn't just stand by after learning Victor was in trouble. Besides, even if Silas tried to sue Tony Stark and the Avengers, he had no guarantee he'd get the Mother Box back.
Despite the Red Room Lab being officially sanctioned, they were unlikely to succeed against the Avengers, who still held authority to prioritize superhuman incidents worldwide. In a courtroom battle, the lab stood little chance, and relying on government forces to pressure the Avengers was unrealistic. After all, few in government circles dared openly oppose such a powerful group.
Realizing this, Silas knew that if he wanted to continue his research on the Mother Box, he had only one path forward—through the portal the Avengers had used to strip his lab bare. He also sensed that Tony Stark didn't harbor much ill will; if the Avengers had truly wanted to eliminate him and Victor, there would've been no need for so much discussion.
As for Tony's possible interest in seizing the Mother Box research data, Silas dismissed the notion. Frankly, he didn't believe his knowledge surpassed Stark's, and now that most of the lab's research had fallen into Stark's hands, it likely wouldn't take him more than a night to fully grasp the Mother Box's intricacies.
"It's almost like the portal doesn't even exist," Silas remarked as he crossed through, struck by how different it was from the space-warping gates he'd imagined. Turning to Tony, he continued, "I'd always thought the Mother Box's portals would look like the ones that appeared over New York, but now I see that portals can be entirely different. Enemies could arrive without us ever seeing a thing."
"You suspected the Mother Box might contain space coordinates, yet you still dared to study it?" Tony asked, somewhat surprised.
"You Avengers aren't the only ones committed to protecting Earth from alien or superhuman threats. If the government funded our Mother Box research, they were willing to take that responsibility."
"I'll admit some in government are responsible," Steve Rogers added with a sigh, "but there aren't enough of them. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been so hard when the Avengers first started."
While the Avengers held considerable status now, in the beginning, they'd been both overworked and under constant pressure from government agencies that preferred to keep their distance. These agencies watched the Avengers struggle with incident after incident, refusing to lend a hand, even though they had resources that could've made a difference. It wasn't that these groups were too precious with their resources, either. Later, when they turned against the Avengers, they revealed some of their hidden assets, proving their hesitance to help was mostly self-serving or due to Hydra's covert influence.
"True, there's a limit to how much unity you can expect from government agencies." Silas conceded, nodding in reluctant agreement after hearing Steve's remark. Steve's integrity still carried weight with his generation.
"Alright, the Mother Box can go in the new lab," Tony said, redirecting the discussion. "Jarvis has it set up for you. If you're good with it, that's where you'll conduct your research."
"You're not going to join me in the research?" Silas asked, surprised.
Initially, he'd thought his access to the Mother Box would be restricted, but Tony didn't seem particularly interested in studying it himself. Could it be that the Avengers were primarily concerned with containing the Mother Box, rather than researching it? Maybe they just wanted to keep it on hand in case anything went wrong.
Silas tried to deduce Tony's motives, but the truth eluded him.
"No, I'm just busy right now. The Mother Box may be complex, but it's ultimately just a product of an alien world. And while it's bound to cause trouble eventually, we have more urgent concerns," Tony explained. "In fact, Victor's abilities are a research priority over the Mother Box. As a cyborg, he could prove invaluable to the Avengers."
Stark had been occupied lately, largely due to the more pressing threat posed by the Celestials. Compared to the Mother Box, whose details remained murky, the Celestials represented a clear and present danger—a mysterious group pre-dating Earth's civilizations and wielding incomprehensible power. To unravel this mystery, Tony had not only compiled all available intelligence but had even insisted on separating Venom from Peter Parker for study.
Since Venom's evolution after absorbing Carnage and even a portion of Hulk's abilities, he and Peter had been almost inseparable. But separating them for analysis had proven challenging for both. The prolonged symbiosis had strengthened Peter physically, allowing him to maintain his powers even without Venom. Although Venom and Stark's nanotech were not yet up to Celestial standards, separating Venom from Peter would be crucial to any new fusion technology.
Victor's abilities also had strategic value, especially given their potential for enhancing an old Avengers project focused on extremis-virus-powered bio-soldiers derived from Chitauri technology. The Chitauri were semi-cybernetic like Victor but less advanced, so understanding Victor's enhancements could provide significant breakthroughs for bio-soldier advancement. Interestingly, Tony had already refined and administered a customized extremis formula to Johnny Storm, greatly amplifying his powers. Johnny could now generate flames in even the most hostile environments, including space and underwater, significantly enhancing his combat capabilities.
Hearing Tony's intent to study Victor, Silas hesitated. As a scientist, he understood the value of researching his son's abilities, but as a father, the thought of Victor being used as a test subject was unsettling.
"Where is he? Can I see him?" Silas finally asked, regaining his composure.
"Of course. He's being held in the basement for hacking the Avengers database, with his powers temporarily locked. He's behaving himself so far." Tony gestured casually. "Jarvis can take you there."
"Please follow me, Dr. Stone," a small robot appeared, guiding Silas through the base.
"Victor…" Silas stepped into the specialized holding cell, feeling a mix of relief and concern as he faced his son. "Why did you hack the Avengers database?"
"I was curious about my powers and wanted to test them," Victor replied, his voice cool and detached. Seeing his father unharmed relieved him, but he quickly masked his feelings. "Besides, it's not entirely bad for us. As a superhuman, I can better understand my abilities here, figure out my limits, and find a path forward."
"For you, this means access to better resources and cutting-edge technology. Here with the Avengers, you'll have more tools to uncover the Mother Box's secrets and see what Apokolips really intends for Earth."
"Wait… Did you plan this? Did you get caught on purpose?" Silas asked, stunned, as Victor's calm and logical explanation sank in.
"Of course not!" Victor protested, shaking his head. "I didn't plan any of this. I only thought of it all after I was brought here."
"You should focus on your work, Dad. I suggested you join the Avengers to research the Mother Box. It's your life's work, after all, and I'll support you, even if you never supported my dreams…" Victor trailed off, his voice softening. "But Mom's gone now, and someone has to understand. I can't play football anymore, so ensuring your work continues is the least I can do."
"With both of us here in the Avengers, you won't have to worry about them being too wary of us. Plus, you won't have to look over your shoulder if the Red Room realizes their lab's been emptied and decides to pin the blame on you."
"You thought of all that?" Silas was visibly moved. He looked at his son, feeling both pride and a pang of guilt at how much Victor had changed and grown.
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