The revelation that Loki had stolen the Tesseract hung in the air of the secure sub-level, a cosmic threat that instantly dwarfed the recent memory of the H.Y.D.R.A./Stane conflict.
Nick Fury and Romanoff had departed, leaving behind a mandate of absolute, unwavering preparation. Alex and Anya were alone with the silence, the secure containment field holding the Infinity Key, and the overwhelming weight of their new responsibility.
"Loki," Alex murmured, running a hand over the cold metal of his workbench. "Not just a genius, but a god. My grandfather engineered a defense protocol for a creature of Norse mythology."
Anya, ever the scientist, walked over to the main console, her mind already shifting from the biological to the cosmic. "Fury's right. We can't waste time on theories. Loki is operating with a power source that defies known physics. We need data."
"Tony has data," Alex stated, the thought of his brother's unwitting research a cold comfort. He sat down and activated the clandestine data link he'd established into Tony's primary network in Chapter 26—the secret digital back door he'd built to monitor his reckless sibling.
Decoding the Brother's Blind Spot
Alex pulled Tony's recent high-energy physics research. The sheer volume of data was immense, but Alex filtered it, focusing only on the spikes and anomalies Tony had been tracking over the past six months.
The results were precisely what Alex had anticipated. Tony, operating on his known strengths, had developed advanced algorithms to track massive, high-frequency energy signatures. He had correctly tracked the Tesseract's subtle energy leakage, even before its recent activation flare.
However, Tony's conclusion was flawed. He had categorized the Tesseract's signature as a series of "extreme atmospheric perturbations"—natural, albeit rare, super-charged phenomena. He had brilliantly tracked a god's power, but his lack of Howard Stark's classified RUNE background blinded him to its true, non-terrestrial nature.
"He's chasing a ghost," Alex observed, displaying the complex data streams to Anya. "Tony's mind defaults to a logical, Earth-bound explanation. He's trying to fit a cosmic-sized problem into a terrestrial box."
Anya recognized the danger immediately. "If he thinks it's a natural phenomenon, he'll treat it as a challenge to be solved, not a hostile threat to be countered."
This was Alex's moment to act as the "responsible Stark." He realized he couldn't let Tony make a fatal miscalculation that could endanger the entire city.
The RUNE Calculation
Alex began to work. He accessed his own deep-coded RUNE database—the technical heritage left by his grandfather. He isolated the precise, critical formula Howard had developed for stabilizing and nullifying high-frequency cosmic energy. It was a complex sequence of kinetic resonance designed to interact with the Tesseract's energy output without provoking a catastrophic release.
"This is the RUNE Calculation," Alex explained, scrolling through the elegant, horrifyingly complex formula. "It's the technical antidote to the Tesseract. It's the only thing that can protect the city from the energy fallout."
He carefully encrypted the formula into a small data packet, ensuring it was stripped of any metadata, tracking information, or identifiable code. It was a phantom piece of genius—a calculated gift.
Anya watched with mounting concern. "You can't send that, Alex! Tony will analyze the formula and instantly recognize the underlying RUNE Protocol structure. He'll know your genius is tied directly to Howard's most sensitive, classified work. He'll know you're down here."
"That's the point," Alex replied, his face grim. "I need him to know there's a superior intellect operating on a parallel plane—one that understands the physics of gods. If he thinks I'm an outside threat, he'll attack me. If he knows I'm a superior intellect focused on defense, he'll analyze the data and, for once, prioritize science over ego."
Alex executed the final command, sending the small, anonymous data packet across the secure link and into Tony Stark's vast, unprotected network. It was a quiet declaration of war, not with weapons, but with intellect.
"The Phantom Signature has just been delivered," Alex stated, leaning back in his chair, the weight of his calculated risk settling over him. "Now we wait for the fireworks." The intellectual duel between the Stark Mirror had begun.
This chapter successfully completed Pillar I, Chapter 29 of the expanded plan, setting the stage for Tony's furious reaction in the next chapter.
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