AN: C'mon, give some powerstones lol.
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Tony's eyes fluttered open. His vision swam for a second before the room came into focus. His heightened senses came back almost instantly. He could hear the sound of the machines running deep underground, the sound of drones around the island, along with the rhythmic crash of waves outside. He realized he was lying in his bed.
Morning light, the air crisp from the open balcony doors... Well, it seemed like a nice morning.
Out on the balcony, Yelena stood with her arms folded, the ocean wind stirring her hair. She turned when she heard him stir.
Tony pushed himself upright with a grunt. His ribs ached, followed by a slight headache. The nanites in his bloodstream came online, forming a HUD across his vision. Data scrolled automatically—vitals, damage reports, timestamps. He froze when he saw it.
Three days. He'd been out for three days.
"Guess I overslept," he muttered.
Yelena didn't laugh. She walked toward him. The bracelet on her wrist unfolded, nanites weaving into a small handheld scanner. She pointed it at him and watched the readouts project above her palm.
"How are you doing?" she asked with a worried expression.
Tony rubbed the back of his neck, wincing at the stiffness. "Feel like I went twelve rounds with the Hulk. Then lost."
Her glare didn't soften. "You were out cold for three days, Tony. Three. I thought you were dying. Hermes couldn't even get a stable read on your neural activity."
He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I might've pushed a little too hard this time."
"A little?" she shot back. "You collapsed in your lab. Your nose was bleeding, your vitals were crashing, and you still had that smug little grin like everything was fine." She retracted the scanner. "I was so worried... We were worried."
Tony looked at her, the edge in her voice cutting through the haze in his mind. He saw the worry in her eyes. It wasn't just anger. It was fear.
He leaned forward slightly. "Hey. I'm sorry, Lena. You know how it is. We barely managed to stop the mutated plague from spreading any further."
She sat beside him. "I know, that's why even if I want, I can't be angry with you." She said with a smile. "It's who you are. Always busy saving the world. But you gotta take care of yourself."
"I know," Tony said as he took her hand and gave a little squeeze. "But this time, it was different. We barely had a week before the plague could infect the entire world. So, I had to increase my brain function by 40% to create the cure. And without Sue's help, it'd have been impossible to synthesize the cure. Hundreds and thousands of people would've been dead by now. But I never realized I'd crash out like that. Even after all these enhancements and cosmic power, I guess... there's a limit to everything."
The door slid open with a soft hiss. Natasha and Sue stepped in together, both still in casual clothes but carrying the air of people who hadn't slept enough. Natasha had a tablet tucked under her arm, and Sue carried a steaming mug of coffee.
"Good, you're awake," Natasha said. "For a minute there, I was considering slapping you just to make sure."
Tony smirked weakly. "I'd say go ahead, but I'm still sore from my romantic nap."
Sue rolled her eyes but set the mug down on the nightstand. "Three days, Tony. You scared everyone half to death. Even the AI started sounding emotional."
Yelena crossed her arms again, shooting him a look. "See? I wasn't exaggerating."
Natasha leaned against the wall, studying him closely. "Your nanites almost burned out trying to keep your brain from frying itself. What were you thinking, pushing your cognitive limit that far?"
Tony took the mug from Sue, inhaling the aroma like it was oxygen itself. "I was thinking maybe saving the world would be worth a headache. Turns out, it was a bit more than that."
Sue sat on the edge of the bed next to him. "You're lucky some of your nanites re-stabilized themselves and kept you alive, giving me enough time to replace the dead ones with the new gen version. The old ones were charred. When was the last time you replaced them or ran a proper diagnostic or put them up for a proper recalibration?"
"Yeah, about that," Tony tried to look away as he couldn't remember the last time he checked on his blood nanites.
"Don't you dare look away, Tony," Sue said sternly.
Tony looked at her, reached out, and brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Hey, I had full faith in you."
Natasha snorted softly. "Faith? You were unconscious. You didn't even have thoughts."
"Then maybe I had subconscious faith," he replied with a grin.
Sue chuckled despite herself. Yelena sighed, shaking her head. "I swear, one day, your charm is going to get you killed."
"Probably," Tony admitted. "But until then, it keeps me from getting dumped."
Natasha raised a brow. "You sure about that?"
He held up his free hand defensively. "I mean statistically, considering the three of you haven't thrown me off this island yet, I'd say the odds are in my favor."
Sue exchanged a look with Natasha and Yelena, and all three women smiled, a rare, quiet understanding passing between them. They all knew who he was — brilliant, reckless, infuriating, and theirs.
Yelena reached out and flicked his forehead lightly. "Just don't make us plan your funeral next time."
Tony chuckled, rubbing the spot. "Noted. No more near-death marathons without supervision."
Natasha crossed her arms, her expression softening. "Good. Because the world's not done needing you yet." She set the tablet on his lap. "Apocalypse hasn't moved since Plague died, but something's happening. Our orbital scanners detected multiple energy spikes, but couldn't pinpoint them until two days ago..."
"Gobi desert?" Tony checked the data.
Tony tapped the tablet, and the holographic screen projected from its surface, filling the air with light. The feed was shaky at first, but then cleared.
Blinding flashes tore across the desert as two figures clashed, shockwaves distorting the air. One wore jade armor and was fighting with Ten Rings, the other wore a green cloak with a silver mask and he was using magic. The cloaked man raised his hand, and the Power Gem on his wrist glowed.
Then it happened.
Tony's breath caught as the masked figure drove his gauntleted hand through Mandarin's chest and tore apart his flesh from his bones. The image froze for a fraction of a second, then glitched into static.
Through the distortion came a voice, distorted but unmistakably commanding. "Let's go. Time to hunt Apocalypse."
The feed ended. Silence filled the room.
Natasha exhaled slowly, arms crossed. "That was all we got before the signal cut off. They were probably using some kind of jammers or powers. We've been trying to track this new guy ever since, but he's… a ghost. No energy trail, no footprints, not even atmospheric distortion from teleportation. Whoever he is, he doesn't want to be found."
Tony's jaw clenched. His reflection in the holographic display flickered, overlapping with the image of the man in the silver mask. He didn't need to hear a name. The armor, the presence, the arrogance... He knew that guy.
Sue noticed the shift in his expression. "Tony? You recognize him?"
Tony didn't answer right away. He leaned back against the headboard, eyes distant. Old memories surfaced. His darkest secret that no one knew, and he'd very much like to keep it that way.
Finally, he took a deep breath. "It's complicated. But yeah. I know him." His voice was low, almost thoughtful. "And if he's back… it means things just got a lot more complicated."
Natasha frowned. "You think he's after Apocalypse too?"
Tony nodded once. "That's what he said in the recording. But listen carefully—don't send anyone after him. Don't try to track him, don't shadow him, nothing."
Yelena blinked. "You're saying just let him go?"
"Exactly," Tony replied, setting the tablet down. "Apocalypse isn't a target you chase unless you're suicidal or stupid or powerful enough to kill him. And this guy clearly knows what he's walking into. And that's good for us."
Yelena tilted her head. "You're hoping they kill each other."
Tony gave a half-smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Not hoping. Calculating. Apocalypse won't fall easily, and neither will this masked freak. But when two monsters fight, there's always one outcome—one dies, and the other's too broken to stand. That's when we move in. Clean up the mess, end the threat for good. And don't ask how I know him. When the time comes, I'll tell you girls everything. Till then, trust me as you always have."
Sue folded her arms, her tone wary. "You're playing a dangerous game, Tony."
He looked at her. "I know. But sometimes you don't have to outfight your enemies. You just let them destroy each other."
Natasha nodded slowly. "Okay. We'll wait."
"Yeah. Wait and prepare," Tony said, sipping from his coffee and grimacing at the cold taste. "And when one of them crawls out of that desert still breathing…" He set the mug down and looked out through the balcony doors toward the horizon. "We'll be ready."
'Should I pay a visit to Kamar-Taj?' He wondered.
[No, MC won't be learning any magic. Many are asking the same question, so making it clear.]
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