Kurogai did not realize that one careless action had drawn the covetous attention of powerful actors across the cosmos. Even if he had known, he would not have been afraid. His own strength was not insignificant, and now that he wielded the power of a Stone, his confidence was only greater. Fear rarely found purchase in him.
Meanwhile, developments were unfolding on Stark's side.
"I have finally synthesized the new element and converted it into stable on-board energy," Tony Stark announced from his lab, voice crackling with the blend of exhaustion and triumph that always followed a breakthrough.
Kurogai listened quietly. He had already read Stark's message and understood the gist of what the inventor had achieved. With a mild nod he opened a compact pocket-portal and stepped into the villa.
Tony looked up from a bench littered with instruments and electronics, energy dancing in the low hum of containment fields. He grinned when he spotted Kurogai.
"You made it. Take a look," Tony said, sweeping an arm to reveal the specimen. The new element rested within a transparent containment housing, held in a formation that resembled a narrow triangle of light. It glowed, bright and clinical, utterly engineered rather than mystical.
Kurogai studied it for a long moment. The glow was impressive, but his face betrayed only a brief hint of disappointment, quickly smoothed away. He had hoped this discovery might be the condition to unlock another ring of his ultimate pupil power. It was not. He had prepared himself for that possibility, so the feeling passed before it hardened.
"Give me a sample and the schematics," Kurogai said. He kept his disappointment to himself. Even if the element did not unlock his pupil ring, it had value. He could have the research wing analyze it, and they could adapt whatever utility it offered to ship systems.
Tony handed over a sealed vial and a data core. The vial fit within a clear containment similar to those used to house an Arc Reactor prototype, while the core contained raw logs and design notes.
"There you go. That is your cut," Tony said. "I have to get back to troubleshooting a parallel prototype someone leaked. It's less advanced and more hazardous than mine, so that's taking my attention. Don't be gone long."
Kurogai inclined his head. "Understood. I will deliver this to the research team."
He left the villa and did not return to whatever estate he maintained. Instead he folded space directly to the research hangar, where the team that had been coaxing genetic transformations finally had a breakthrough.
"Perfect timing," Quinn greeted him the moment he arrived. Quinn had overseen much of the lab work, and the success on the table had the breathless excitement that comes with a long, perilous experiment finally tipping toward success.
"We succeeded with the gene stabilization trial," Quinn said. "The test subjects were rodents but the results are stable. We have functioning phenotypic expression that persists across cycles."
A grin spread over Kurogai's face. The success in the lab was good news and also convenient. He had already thought this through. If the technology could be adapted, human testing would be the next phase. There was one candidate in his mind, one who would pay what was owed and who would accept the procedure without hesitation.
"You know our limits," Quinn cautioned. "So far it has only been done on mice. We have no data on cross-species scaling or long-term side effects in humans. It is risky."
"I am aware." Kurogai's voice was steady and almost light, but his mind was already arranging logistics. "I will find volunteers."
Quinn frowned at him a second before nodding. He trusted Kurogai, even if he did not fully understand everything the man did. "All right. Give the team a break, then. We'll prepare for the next phase."
Kurogai arranged it. "Send everyone home for a shift. I will bring back the candidates."
With that he folded space once more. This time the portal deposited him inside the Director's office at S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters, a place of steel and glass where the ceiling seemed to hold the weight of responsibility. Nick Fury turned at the echo of the portal closing.
"Show up unannounced again?" Fury's one eye narrowed, half-question, half-scowl. He had learned not to be surprised by the impossible.
Kurogai stepped forward, hands relaxed. "I have come to collect on our agreement, Director. You owe me the second condition."
Fury's expression shifted. He remembered their prior bargain, the exchange of advanced weaponry for certain, rather obscure favors. Fury did not enjoy owing anything that could shift his options, but he kept his temper controlled. "You know the conditions we agreed on," he said. "I will honor them within reasonable boundaries."
Kurogai smiled thinly. "Reasonable. Good. I will need access to long-term detainees, those who are legally condemned and who would otherwise be unavailable for medical trials. Death row inmates, Director. A number of them."
Fury's shadowed face was hard to read. "You're asking for access to prisoners who are slated for execution. You understand the legal and ethical minefield that represents."
"I do," Kurogai answered. "I am not requesting anything without protocol or oversight. I will coordinate with your legal unit. I have reasons for this selection. They will be volunteers in the sense they accept the procedure in exchange for life alternatives. It is the only way to ensure we begin human trials in a controlled environment."
Fury steepled his fingers for a long breath. Years in his chair had taught him that closed doors often hid necessary evils. He also knew Kurogai's reputation for results, and he had no appetite for a needless confrontation.
"Fine," Fury said finally. "You will work with legal. You will accept a S.H.I.E.L.D. medical observer present at all times. No off-the-books tests. If anything goes outside the protocol you lose access and I shut it down."
Kurogai inclined his head. "Agreed. I expect cooperation."
Fury's single eye did not relax. "You should expect more than that. If anyone gets hurt, you answer for it. If anyone is freed under false pretenses, you answer for it. You are playing a dangerous game, Kurogai. Make sure you can play it."
Kurogai's smile warmed just enough to be human. "I always play to win."
He left the Director's office with the details in motion. The research team would receive the new element. The gene project would move forward into human trials under tightly monitored conditions. The stage had shifted and the stakes had risen.
Kurogai felt the momentum and welcomed it. In the quiet of his thoughts he catalogued his options, the potential gains and the people who already hunted power across the stars. He would proceed carefully, but he would proceed.
Outside the building the sky over the facility was a clear slate. For now, the pieces moved where he guided them, and that was enough.
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