An endless blue strip crashing against the cliffs. Then a… mansion? House…? Tony's home. White, geometric, set into the rock as if the mountain itself had been carved for it.
And in front of it…
Movement.
Too much.
People packed beyond the limits of the property, a mass of lenses, microphones, raised arms, flashes even in broad daylight. The cameras were already aimed at the jet, following our trajectory as we descended. I could read their movements even from this distance.
Journalists.
A lot of them.
The landing area, the courtyard beside the house, was completely exposed to their line of sight.
I slightly turned my head toward Tony.
"What do you think you're doing?" I asked.
Tony, relaxed in his seat, didn't even look out the window.
"That?" he said, dismissing it with a vague gesture. "They're fans. They basically live here. I think one of them already asked to get their mail delivered here."
I leaned slightly forward.
"That's a blatant lie."
Only then did he turn his head toward me, a crooked smile on his face.
"Oh really?"
He looked outside, contemplating the scene as if it were something ordinary.
"Come on, kid… I'm Iron Man. People are curious. Sometimes obsessive. Sometimes blatantly problematic."
"You called them," I commented.
"Maybe I did," he replied lightly. "Maybe I thought you could use some getting used to it."
I raised an eyebrow.
"Getting used to it?"
"To the cameras, the noise, the looks that want answers you're not going to give," he said. "If you're going to keep working in the 'mysterious guy who saves the world but creates uncomfortable questions' field, you're going to have to get used to it sooner or later."
He gestured toward the window.
"And honestly… what better place than by my side. If you don't want to say anything, don't. Just walk while the great Tony Stark steals half the attention. Plus, being next to an Avenger will do wonders for your… public image."
"How generous of you."
"I always am. It's a burden." He dramatically closes his eyes.
I looked back outside. The flashes were intensifying as we got closer to the ground. I could make out some faces, some media outlets. Everyone wanted an image, a reaction, a story.
I didn't like the idea, mainly because I'm not used to this much attention. I'm still adapting to the life of a hero…
But Tony was right. I got myself into this… so I have no right to complain. I can't stay silent forever.
"A couple of photos won't hurt me," I finally admitted.
Tony nodded with a triumphant smile.
"That's the spirit."
The jet began its final descent. The crowd beyond the perimeter burst into motion.
Raised microphones, frantic cameras, shouts that barely made it through the fuselage.
The ramp opened with a metallic hiss and the sound hit us instantly.
Shouts. Overlapping voices. My name repeated halfway, distorted by emotion. The constant click of hundreds of cameras.
I stepped down next to Tony. Him, calm. Smiling. Delighted by the chaos. As if that noise were his natural element.
As soon as we set foot on the patio, everything erupted even more.
"Tony!"
"Look here, Mr. Stark!"
"Legion, Legion, a question!"
"Is it true that he lives here now?"
"What relationship do you have with each other?"
The security fences kept everyone outside the property, but they had a perfect view.
I walked at his side, saying nothing.
Tony raised a hand and waved, as if he were on a red carpet.
"Thank you, thank you, the house is nice, I know. We decorated it with love and an irresponsibly large budget," he commented, without stopping.
I barely smiled at that.
I don't know how he puts up with it… I hate cameras. I'm not photogenic at all. The only pictures I had on my phone were from family birthdays… and there weren't many, so that meant even fewer photos.
We were just a few meters from the entrance when Tony suddenly stopped. He turned halfway toward the crowd, pointing at them with two fingers.
"Okay, okay, one quick one, deluxe version, limited edition. Who gets it?"
A journalist practically shouted over everyone else.
"Mr. Stark, what is your relationship with Legion? Are you considering having him join the Avengers?"
Tony glanced at me out of the corner of his eye, amused.
"Relationship?" he repeated thoughtfully. "Well, we haven't gone out to dinner yet, but I'm not ruling anything out. He's mysterious. I like that… I'd give him an eight."
Some of them laughed.
"And about the Avengers?" the journalist insisted.
Tony looked back at the cameras.
"Let's just say… he's on trial. We might put him on the bench to warm it up first. See how well he follows the rules…" he cups his hand around his mouth and stage-whispers "we don't have many."
More laughter. More flashes.
Tony turned to head inside, but then, from the back, a voice rose again.
"Legion! Is it true that you're an alien who plans to conquer us by making us lower our guard?"
I stopped.
Tony did too, though he was one step ahead. I noticed he turned his head, curious, but he didn't intervene.
I turned toward the voice.
The journalist looked tense, he wasn't expecting me to answer.
"Why do you think that?" I asked calmly.
A murmur spread through the crowd. The cameras immediately adjusted, all focused on me now.
"I-I don't think it," he hurried to clarify. "But… it's what's being said online. There are theories saying that you helped during the Chitauri invasion not because you wanted to save Earth, but because you wanted to weaken it and then take it for yourself."
I listened without interrupting him.
Then, without being able to help it, I let out a small laugh.
"That's a pretty good theory," I admitted. "Creative. Jonah really put effort into it."
Some of them exchanged surprised looks.
I took another step toward the entrance, letting the cameras follow me.
"I don't want to conquer anything. I don't want domination or power over anyone. I just want to help those who can't defend themselves… and, if possible, make this world a little better for everyone."
A murmur ran through the crowd.
"That's all."
I said nothing more. I turned around and resumed walking.
I think I did well for my first time… at least I didn't say something weird or stupid.
The avalanche of questions exploded again behind me, even more intense than before, but this time I didn't stop.
Tony was a little behind me. When he caught up, he smirked.
"Inspiring," he commented. "If you ever open an NGO, I'm calling dibs on being the pretty face."
And together we crossed the entrance, leaving the reporters outside.
===================================================
The door opened on its own before Tony could even touch it.
It slid open smoothly, letting the interior light spill into the entrance hall. The contrast with the outside was immediate: from the chaotic noise of the journalists to the silence of an incredibly spacious mansion. I'm pretty sure the cheapest couch in this place could pay my rent for a whole year… maybe more.
I stepped inside next to him.
"Welcome home, Mr. Stark," a voice said, echoing from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. "I'm glad to have you back."
Tony lifted his chin, as if accepting a well-deserved compliment.
"I couldn't stay away for too long, JARVIS. You'd miss me too much."
There was a very brief pause before the voice continued:
"And you must be Legion. Welcome to the Stark residence. It is an honor to receive you."
I slightly inclined my head.
"The pleasure is mine, JARVIS."
Tony glanced slightly at me as we kept walking through the glass and polished marble hallway.
"In case you hadn't noticed, you just spoke with the most advanced artificial intelligence on the planet. Basically my masterpiece."
He pointed at the ceiling, the walls, the very air.
"And I'm dangerously close to making history. The first real, conscious digital lifeform. Not bad for a guy in an expensive suit, right?"
I nodded calmly.
"And doesn't that worry you a little? From what I've seen in movies… that usually ends with a Skynet trying to wipe out humanity."
Tony let out a short, carefree laugh.
"Come on, who do you think you're talking to? I'm not an idiot. Do you really think I'd create an AI that could go crazy and decide humanity is a problem? Only someone with a PhD in bad decisions would do that."
I didn't answer, but the irony of his words flowed clearly through my mind.
Banner. Ultron. Sokovia. The Accords…
Yeah, maybe you do have a doctorate in that and just don't know it yet, Tony.
Even so, I kept that thought to myself and continued walking at his side.
We moved deeper into the house. Every space was open, bright, with the ocean stretching beyond enormous windows.
Even the air itself felt cleaner.
Turning into one of the corridors, a familiar silhouette appeared ahead of us.
"Tony," said Happy, his brow slightly furrowed as he looked at us.
His eyes settled on me, assessing me without trying to hide it. He leaned a little closer to Tony and lowered his voice.
"Do you really think it's a good idea to bring him in like this without even securing the house?"
"Relax, Happy," Tony replied, not fully stopping, only slowing his pace. "If he wanted to blow me up, you'd already be fishing my remains out of the ocean."
Happy clenched his jaw.
"That is not a comforting comment."
"I know. That's why it works," Tony shot back with a crooked smile before continuing forward.
Happy hesitated for a second, then decided to follow us, staying a step behind, alert for any sudden movement.
We continued down a narrower hallway, until the atmosphere completely shifted at the end.
A powerful white light shone from behind a pair of double doors.
Tony stopped right in front of them.
"And this… is where the magic happens."
The doors opened.
The workshop revealed itself in all its magnitude. Work platforms, suspended robotic arms, tools floating in magnetic fields, holographic screens filled with data. Several suits lined up.
I had seen it before, through a screen. But being there inside was something else. I could feel the energy, the intent in each suit.
I slowly nodded, observing in silence.
"Impressive," I said, genuinely amazed.
Tony seemed satisfied with that.
On one of the central platforms, a digital blueprint rotated in the air. A new version of the Iron Man suit: more streamlined, more advanced. Incomplete, but promising.
My eyes lingered on that hologram a second longer than usual.
Do I understand it? Not at all, but the helmet analyzes and simplifies it for me.
"You like it?" he asked, not looking directly at me. "I'm still working on it… but it's going in the right direction. This is just the prototype."
He slid two fingers through the air and several parts of the design separated, revealing new lines, modifications, reinforced areas.
"I'm adjusting the titanium density in the abdominal area and redistributing the thrusters. More thrust, less consumption… and maybe — just maybe — the chance to survive up there without my body collapsing like a forgotten bag in the vacuum of space."
He said that last part lightly, almost as a joke. But something in his voice cracked for just a moment.
"I'm not going to run out of air again," he added with a half-smile. "That was a… very educational experience that I do not plan on repeating."
I nodded slowly.
"It's a good idea," I agreed. "But I doubt you invited me here just to show me an unfinished prototype of your next existential crisis."
Tony let out a soft nasal laugh.
"Touché."
He made a casual gesture and the armor hologram disintegrated into particles of light. A new projection formed in the center of the workshop.
This… this was something else.
Lines of code mixed with architecture, movement patterns, prediction, autonomous behavior.
Tony began circling the hologram, as if admiring a beautiful sculpture.
"JARVIS is my masterpiece," he said without a hint of false modesty. "And believe me, I don't say that often. He cost me years of insomnia, questionable coffee and making highly questionable decisions. He's designed to assist me, organize, protect, optimize… to be everything a normal person can't be twenty-four hours a day."
He passed his hand through another layer of data.
"But he's still a golden cage. An assistant. Brilliant, efficient… but contained."
His expression changed, the sarcastic smile replaced by a seriousness that didn't suit him at all.
"This," he continued, "is not a digital butler. It won't make coffee or crack jokes when I'm in a bad mood… this is meant to watch, analyze, anticipate. Make decisions in microseconds. Be where I can't be. Everywhere. At the same time."
His eyes followed every pattern in the hologram as if seeing a possible future.
"That day… when I went through the portal," he added more quietly, almost to himself, "I saw things. Not sci-fi exaggerations. I saw how vulnerable this planet is. How absurd it is to believe that a small group of people, in fancy suits or with magic hammers, can protect it forever."
He straightened up, regaining part of his confident tone.
"The world needs something bigger than an Avenger with a savior complex. It needs a… a shield. Invisible. Unbreakable. Tireless. Fearless."
For a moment, he didn't say anything else. Only the hum of the technology filled the silence.
"And don't get me wrong," he added, his usual defensive irony returning, "I'm not talking about ruling the world. I leave that to the guys with weird accents and dramatic capes. I just… want that, when I look up at the sky again, I don't feel like we're running out of time."
He looked at me then, a faint madness in his eyes.
"Besides," he smirked, "three brains are always better than one. Statistically speaking. And yours seems to work pretty well, despite all the drama you carry around."
"Three?" I finally asked.
Tony raised an eyebrow and nodded casually.
"Banner," he replied simply, then added with an ironic grimace, "Well… Banner and Mr. Green, technically. You know how it is. One of the brightest minds on the planet stuck in the body of an emotional nuclear bomb."
He shrugged.
"I mentioned the idea to him. His eyes lit up… for about three seconds. Then he went into 'this sounds like the start of a bad movie' mode."
A crooked smile appeared on his face.
"But…" he continued, "he said he'd take a few weeks to… stabilize the big guy. Yoga, meditation, soft music, I don't know. Whatever keeps him from flattening half a city out of stress. After that, he'd be willing to take a look. With supervision. And probably a few tranquilizers on standby."
His gaze drifted back to the hologram, more serious, more focused.
"So yeah," he went on. "Three brains. One with a complex about saving the world, another with chronic anxiety and a slight anger problem… and mine, obviously the most brilliant of all." He said, pointing at his own head.
"Imagine this," he continued. "Guardians all over the planet. Practically unlimited energy, adaptable, unstoppable. Defense against extraterrestrial threats, global attacks, environmental disasters… we could change the world."
Or end it.
I know his intentions are good, but right now… he's acting out of desperation. That vision is haunting him… If I remember correctly, it's something he eventually managed to overcome in Iron Man 3. I guess what I'm seeing now is just the beginning of his obsession with creating armors.
I stepped a little closer to the hologram. The blue light reflected off the glass and metal of the workshop, tracing lines across my hands as I memorized the unfinished shapes of that design.
"So… an armor for the world," I said, more to myself than to him.
Tony fell silent for a second. Then he smiled.
"Wow…" he murmured, genuinely surprised. "That actually sounds way better when you say it. 'Armor for the world'… yeah, I like it. Much more inspiring than 'anti-alien-and-crazy-gods-project.'"
He slightly turned his head toward me.
"I'm registering that later."
I was about to reply, to add something else, when he raised a finger, quickly interrupting me.
"But of course…" he added, "your participation, and Banner's, will not be free in this project. I obviously plan to reward you for your efforts."
He walked away from the glowing core and headed toward one side of the workshop.
We followed almost instinctively, Happy staying a few steps back, never taking his eyes off me.
Tony stopped in front of an elevator perfectly integrated into the wall, so clean and discreet that if I hadn't seen it open, I would've thought it was just part of the design.
The doors slid open with a soft hiss.
Tony stepped inside first and, without looking at us, slightly tilted his head back.
"Are you coming, or are you going to stand there admiring my stuff all day?" he said. "There's something else I want to show you."
===============================================================
The elevator rose in complete silence.
The polished steel walls reflected a faint image of the three of us. Tony, arms crossed, projected another image onto the elevator wall: a still, floating hologram of Bloxx.
"I have to admit something," he said, pointing at it. "Of all the possible alien forms in the universe… you just had to pick the one that looks like it came out of a box of Legos."
He watched closely as the blocks fitted together in perfectly symmetrical patterns.
"It's disturbingly familiar. Coincidence… or did I just discover that Lego is a secret intergalactic franchise?"
I kept my eyes on the hologram.
"It's just an extremely big coincidence. Bloxx is the DNA sample of a segmentasapien from the planet Polyominus."
JARVIS complemented the projection with a cross-section of its structure.
"It's a lifeform based on silicone-organs," I added, "with hardened, segmented, quasi-organic polymer skin. His body is made of blocks he can rearrange at will."
The hologram blocks separated and reassembled into another shape.
"They evolved that way to camouflage themselves. Their planet has naturally geometric structures. That segmentation allowed them to blend into their environment and avoid predators."
Tony tilted his head, impressed despite himself.
"So it's not a toy… it's an evolutionary strategy with a very good marketing department."
The elevator chimed as it reached another level.
"That makes it… way cooler… and a little more disturbing for my childhood."
He glanced at me with a half-smile.
"I'm definitely going to keep a closer eye on my Legos. You never know who might be infiltrating."
===========================================================
HEEEEY, THIS IS WHERE WE'LL LEAVE IT FOR NOW.
GEEZ, THIS WEEK STARTED OFF STRONG. WORK IS INTENSE AND THE HEAT JUST WON'T LET UP. THEY'RE SAYING IT'LL HIT 38°C TOMORROW — NOPE, I'M NOT MAKING IT OUT ALIVE.
SORRY FOR THE DELAY, I WAS JUST TOO TIRED. BUT PUTTING THAT ASIDE… TONY SEEMS TO BE CONTEMPLATING THE CREATION OF A VERY PARTICULAR AI, AND HE WANTS LEGION'S HELP TO TURN HIS CREATION INTO SOMETHING MUCH MORE "ADAPTABLE."
I WONDER WHAT HE'LL OFFER OUR PROTAGONIST TO "CONVINCE" HIM — AND WHAT OUR HERO WILL DO WITH SUCH A DANGEROUS IDEA.
SEE YOU IN THE NEXT CHAPTER, BABES.
A KISS :)