Tony took the cylindrical tube and looked at the symbiote. The black substance inside the tube moved slowly. It was aware of his presence. He thought that this All Immunity power can resist even the Infinity Gems, so what would happen if he touches the Symbiote?
Will his new power kill the Symbiote since it is a parasitic lifeform, or will it try to take over him? The symbiote usually bonds, alters hosts, and feeds on biological systems. If his immunity recognized it as a parasite, the outcome would be instant.
But there are certain situations where symbiotes can adapt. That was its nature. It always learns and evolves. If it sensed his biology was hostile, would it attempt to counteract it? Would it try to overwrite him faster than his mutation could respond? The idea of two adaptive systems colliding inside the same body made him rethink the risk.
'I can use the Gems... But...'
Then came the next problem.
If the parasite dies, what will happen to the body of the symbiote? Tony stared at the shifting black mass and tried to imagine the aftermath. If the symbiote was killed, would it collapse into inert biomass? Would it remain as a physical substance, stripped of will and hunger? Or would it simply cease to exist altogether, erased the same way energy and nanites had been?
And if it remains, can he use it to create an armor that he can control freely like his nanite suits?
That thought lingered longer than he liked. A symbiote without a mind. Just adaptive organic matter responding only to his intent. Armor that did not rely on technology, power sources, or external control systems. Something alive, yet dead. Something that could grow, repair itself, and shift forms, and might have the ability to bring him back to life should he die, even in that lifeless form.
Finally, what about Knull? What's his situation? Is he sealed or lurking in some corner of the universe? Will that fucker notice that someone has messed with his creation?
It was a dangerous line of thinking, and Tony knew it.
He looked at the tube again, at the quiet movement within, and felt the weight of the unknown settle over him.
There were too many questions with zero answers.
Tony exhaled slowly and let the breath steady him.
He had built his entire career on calculated risks, but this was not a calculation. This was gambling with an unknown god's favorite toy.
He slid the container back into its reinforced cradle and locked the magnetic clamps into place. The field hummed softly as it stabilized, the symbiote settling back into slow, restless motion. Tony entered a final containment command, triple-checked the failsafes, and stepped back.
"Nope," he said quietly. "Not worth the risk and as the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat."
The idea of an organic armor was tempting. More than tempting, it was brilliant. Something that did not need power cells, processors, or nanite reservoirs. Something that healed itself, adapted in real time, and could not be hacked or shut down. A suit that lived because he lived.
It was the kind of idea that usually ended with a monument and a warning plaque.
Even if his new immunity could erase the symbiote's influence, even if it stripped the thing of will and hunger, there was no guarantee that the act itself would go unnoticed. Symbiotes are a part of something older and far more unpleasant.
Knull was not a myth you poked out of scientific curiosity.
If that thing noticed a disruption in its creations, the consequences would not stop at Tony Stark or Earth.
Tony glanced at the planetary defense readouts hovering in the corner of the lab. Mars, Moon, Earth, Orbital arrays. None of it made him comfortable when he imagined something like Knull turning its attention this way.
Even a one percent risk was unacceptable when the cost was extinction.
He used his Space Gem to isolate the entire container in an isolated dimension.
"Some toys stay in the box," he muttered.
...
[Atlantis]
While the surface world was enjoying peace, a war was raging on in the Undersea.
Bioluminescent towers flickered and shattered as shockwaves rolled through the city. Coral spires that had stood for centuries cracked and fell, scattering glowing fragments into the dark water. Schools of sea creatures fled in blind panic as vibranium weapons carved bright scars through the deep.
Atlanteans fought Atlanteans.
Namor had tried to stop this.
He had stood before the council and spoken of restraint, of patience, of a surface world that now held forces far beyond theirs. He had seen Tony Stark bend reality with his own hands during the battle with Doom, and how he restored everything to its original state before the battle; heck, he even cleaned up the ocean with a flick of his finger.
Drowning the world was no longer an option. It was suicide.
So, Namor decided to abandon the drowning plan. But not everyone was happy with that decision.
Attuma took this chance to launch a surprise attack on Namor to further destabilize his power.
He was massive, even by Atlantean standards, his armor forged from ancient leviathan bone and vibranium. Runes glowed faintly along his shoulders and chest, pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat.
"This world was meant to drown," Attuma roared, his voice carrying through the depths like thunder. "The surface stole our oceans, poisoned them, and dared to call it progress." He aimed his spear at Namor. "You should know better than anyone... And now that everything is ready, you want to step back?"
Attuma shot toward Namor.
"You are unfit to rule over Atlantis."
The water around him exploded outward as he drove himself forward, spear cutting a straight line through the deep. Namor barely shifted aside in time. The spear passed close enough to tear a strip from his shoulder armor, the force of it rattling his bones.
Namor spun and struck back, his fist slamming into Attuma's chest. The impact sent a shockwave through the water, cracking nearby coral and knocking lesser warriors off their footing. Attuma barely moved. He laughed, a deep and violent sound that echoed through the city.
"You hesitate," Attuma said. "That is weakness."
Namor's eyes burned. "No," he replied. "That is restraint."
Attuma swung again, faster this time. Namor blocked with his forearm, vibranium ringing like a bell as the two forces collided. The pressure bent the water itself, forming visible ripples that slammed into nearby buildings. Bioluminescent lights shattered. Stones tore free from ancient walls.
Around them, the fighting only grew worse. Brothers turned on brothers. The city bled.
Namor twisted his grip and shoved Attuma back, creating space between them. "This war will destroy us," He yelled. "I have seen what the surface world can do now."
Attuma sneered and drove his spear into the ground, anchoring himself. "You have grown afraid of air-breathers," he said. "They are weak, just like you."
"They are not," Namor said as he summoned his trident. "Tony Stark healed the oceans with a thought and even brought our friends and families who were caught in the war back to life. He commands forces that make our armies irrelevant."
Attuma lunged again, rage driving him harder than strategy. Namor met him head-on. Their clash sent another violent pressure wave rolling through the city.
"Our plans were bound to fail," Namor continued as they struggled, spear locked against trident. "Flooding the surface would only bring extinction to us all. I will not sacrifice Atlantis for pride."
Attuma shoved him back and followed with a brutal strike that knocked Namor into a shattered spire. Stone burst apart around him. For a moment, Namor remained still.
Attuma raised his spear. "Then you are no king of mine."
Namor rose slowly, water swirling around him as his anger finally broke through his restraint. His eyes glowed as he lifted his trident. The currents bent to his will. The sea itself seemed to listen.
"I am king," Namor said as he decided to get serious. "And I choose survival over extinction."
They collided again, harder than before. This time, Namor did not hold back. He drove Attuma back step by step, forcing him through collapsing ruins and broken streets.
Attuma stumbled, surprised by the strength behind the blows. Namor twisted the spear from his grip and sent it spinning away into the dark.
"I will never bow to the surface," Attuma spat.
"Then you leave me with no choice," Namor replied as he aimed his trident at Attuma.
"Yes," Attuma threw his spear and aimed his hand at Namor. "It's time for your reign to end."
A massive wave of energy blasted out of Attuma's hand as the water around him began to swirl. And in the blink of an eye, a trident that looked exactly like Namor's trident appeared. Attuma grabbed it and spun it around before pointing it at Namor.
Namor's eyes widened as he recognized that trident. "The Trident of Pontus!!!"
----
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