A beam of energy was about to strike a futuristic-looking tower under construction when a circular shield appeared just in time, stopping the blast, though it shattered in the process.
"Stark, when will you stop wasting time?" asked someone identical to Steve Rogers.
"When you stop pretending to be the boy scout," Tony replied, propelling himself toward him with his thrusters and hitting him hard.
The fake Captain tried to fight back, putting all his skill and superhuman strength into it, but against a metal suit his effort was useless. Within seconds he was on the ground, unable to defend himself, with Tony aiming a repulsor beam straight at his head.
"Got anything to say?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.
To Tony's disappointment, Steve didn't disappoint him. He smirked mockingly.
"For the smartest man on the planet, you're still so naïve…"
Tony exhaled in frustration and fired. The beam went through his head, killing him instantly. Without wasting time, Stark took off toward the antenna.
A couple of missiles were enough to reduce the structure to rubble. Before the authorities could arrive, he was already flying over the ocean, heading toward the helipad of a coastal mansion.
He landed and removed his helmet.
"Did you do your part?" he asked, looking at the two young people in front of him, one with red hair, the other with silver.
Wanda nodded. "It was easy."
Pietro, on the other hand, hesitated. "I ran into Vision. He wasn't fast, but he could predict my moves before I made them… Sorry."
Tony approached and patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, kid. Focus on getting better."
Then he turned. "JARVIS, did you record everything that happened today?"
"Of course, sir," replied the artificial voice.
"Do the usual, then."
"Sir," JARVIS replied, "although I don't like to interfere, I must point out that continuing to distribute those videos is inefficient. We've already sent them to people in power, random civilians, tried broadcasting them, even uploading them online. None of it worked. The control the Skrulls have over communications is too complex."
Tony took a sip of coffee. "Just keep doing it. Maybe it'll work."
"Understood. By the way, Fury tried to contact you earlier."
"Call him," he said, leaning back in his chair.
Fury's voice came through the phone. "Stark, finally you answer."
"I was busy. Get to the point, what's going on?"
Fury sighed, resigned to his tone. "We analyzed the bodies you brought in. We didn't find anything new, but we confirmed our theories. Skrulls can't naturally copy abilities. We found traces of the original DNA in each copy, which means the real ones must still be alive somewhere. About the antenna…"
"Don't bother," Tony interrupted. "If I didn't find anything, you definitely didn't."
"Actually, we figured out how it works," Fury said calmly.
"I know that too," Tony replied, unsurprised. "They use waves to interfere with the energy signature of our powers."
"You knew?"
"Of course," Tony answered, as if it were obvious.
"And why didn't you tell us?"
"Because it's useless," he said coldly. "Knowing how it works doesn't mean we can stop it. So the information's worthless."
Fury exhaled, holding back his frustration. "Fine. We'll keep investigating on our own. I'll let you know if we make progress."
Without another word, he hung up.
"Sir," JARVIS intervened, "wasn't it on your schedule to inform SHIELD about your findings?"
"I was busy and forgot," Stark replied, resting his head on the back of the chair. "But if a wave can interfere with all our powers—my technology, Wanda's magic, Pietro's speed, mutations, serums, everything—that can only mean one thing: all those different sources share the same origin. Different forms of one fundamental energy."
"While it sounds amazing that you've discovered the origin of everything, sir, perhaps you should focus on the current situation," JARVIS replied.
Tony smiled. "And what do you think I'm doing? No matter how they interfere with that energy, they're doing it with technology. And when it comes to that, no one beats me. The Skrulls underestimate us, that's why they're not actively hunting us. That'll be their biggest mistake. Once I crack their tech, I'll improve it… and use it against them."
---
Later, in the living room, Pietro greeted him with sarcasm.
"Old man, you finally got out of your lab."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Old man? JARVIS, am I old?"
"Forty-six years is a reasonable age, sir. Besides, it depends on…"
"You heard the robot," Stark interrupted. "So don't talk nonsense. What are you watching?"
"They're interviewing people about the towers," Wanda replied. "Many think it's unfair to the heroes who helped them in the past."
Tony smiled faintly. "At least some people are logical. What about the government?"
"Even though the government supports them, they care too much about public opinion. That's why so few have been built so far."
Tony frowned. "And even so, it's too many. For every one we destroy, two more go up."
"Do you have a plan for that?" Wanda asked.
"For now, wait. Wait to learn something about their technology. Wait for a mistake. Wait to crack it. Wait to find the others. Wait for the missing ones to return."
"Wait, huh?" Wanda murmured. "I'm not sure they'll give us that much time."
Suddenly, the television switched to an emergency broadcast. It wasn't the first time, but this time the topic wasn't related to the Skrulls. That didn't make it any less alarming.
The images showed a devastated city, filmed from a drone with too much zoom. A dimensional gate remained open, releasing more and more creatures, monsters and ordinary people emerging from the same portal.
The three recognized the place instantly.
The Negative Zone.
One of the creatures, a colossal amphibian, looked directly at the camera. A beam shot from its eyes, destroying it instantly.
The presenter trembled as she spoke:
"As you can see, a total breach has occurred in the Negative Zone. We ask all citizens in the following cities to head to the nearest defense bunkers. Avoid going outside. Do not provoke the entities if you encounter them. I repeat, remain under shelter until the situation is contained. The cities under maximum alert are as follows…"
Tony clenched his fist.
"Shit" he muttered.
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80 power stones = 1 extra chapter (cumulative)