###
Time: Early December 2000
Location: Stark Mansion, Malibu, California.
##
The low hum of machinery and soft flickering lights filled Basement 1 of the newly built Stark Mansion. Tony Stark leaned over a sleek, steel workbench, holding a walkie-talkie in one hand and a mug of coffee in the other. The polished floors reflected the eerie blue glow of the dormant hologram projector system embedded into the circular platform in the middle of the room.
He pressed the button on the walkie-talkie. "Leo, you ready down there?"
A crackle, then a voice—young, confident, with just enough snark to be his son.
"Basement 2 all clear, Commander. Friday's ready. Just say the word."
Tony smirked. "Alright, on my mark. Three... two... one—ignite."
A soft mechanical whirl echoed as the projectors powered up. Beams of light scanned the area and flickered, until a three-dimensional interface bloomed above the platform, fully stable.
"J.A.R.V.I.S.," Tony called out, stepping back to admire the projection.
"Yes, sir," came the ever-calm British voice. "System initialization complete. All functions are operational."
Through the walkie, Leo chimed in, "Friday reports full system integrity. No bugs. She's ready."
"Shall I attempt a direct link with Miss F.R.I.D.A.Y.?" J.A.R.V.I.S. inquired.
Tony pressed the button. "What do you think, Leo?"
"Do it," Leo replied.
The two AIs exchanged digital handshakes. A visible flicker of light passed through the holograms as the connection synced.
"Connection established." both AIs reported in unison.
Tony exhaled in relief. "It actually worked. Huh."
Leo snorted. "Was there ever a doubt?"
"Only every minute of my life," Tony said with a grin. "Let's give it a whirl. J.A.R.V.I.S., call Leo."
A holographic interface bloomed, and in seconds, Leo's face appeared hovering above the platform, holding his own walkie-talkie like a mission commander.
"Hey, handsome," Tony teased. "Your lighting down there is tragic."
Leo rolled his eyes. "Says the guy using workshop lighting to look like a soap commercial."
Tony chuckled, then turned to a covered sports car nearby. "Alright, now let's get to the fun part."
He snapped his fingers and the car's holographic schematics floated into the air. With a few hand gestures, parts separated, rotated, and magnified, revealing internal mechanics. "Look at that. It's like surgery, but for gearheads."
"Very therapeutic," Leo said dryly.
Below, in Basement 2, A holographic humanoid figure began to assemble with a sleek metal frame.
"Meet my newest project," Leo announced. "Codename: Travis."
Tony narrowed his eyes at the robot's outline. "Leo… have you been watching Terminator again?"
"Maybe," Leo admitted, not even pretending to be sorry.
"You sure you're not gonna Skynet us all into the stone age?"
Leo smirked. "I'm not that dumb. I've got fail-safes and override protocols. Plus, I actually like humanity."
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Why the sudden interest in robotics?"
"For future projects I need helpers and What's better than obedient machines that don't get tired aside from needing charging" Leo shrugged "Also, someone's gotta babysit me. Grandpa Jarvis is gone."
Tony paused. The room fell silent except for the soft hum of machinery.
"…Yeah," Tony said, his tone low. "I know I am not quite father of the year and I've messed up a lot. But I really do wanna be better than my own dad ever was."
There was a long pause on the line.
Then Leo's voice came, softer. "I get it. And… I'm glad I have you as my father."
Tony looked up, surprised.
"I mean," Leo continued, "if I was born into a normal family, I probably would've been abducted by now. Some shady lab would be making me design satellites or something."
Tony's face showed a slight smirk "You're not wrong."
"I know," Leo said, his face showing a gentle smile. "So again, thanks For being my dad. I wouldn't have had it in any other way."
Tony unconsciously smiled, his chest tight. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. "Okay, wow. Someone's pulling emotional punches today."
But then Leo kept going.
"Even if I don't approve of your one-night stands," Leo added, laced with mild sarcasm. "But hey, at least you try to keep those away from me.."
Tony cleared his throat, swiftly eager to shift gears. He asked "So, uh… that exam of yours. The one to find your assistant for LionHeart. It's almost done, Right?"
Leo nodded. "Three more days. F.R.I.D.A.Y. and J.A.R.V.I.S. are compiling responses through the tablets."
Tony chuckled. "Gotta say, smart move using tablets. Very... Orwellian. I'm impressed."
"But," Tony added, raising a finger with accusingly "can we talk about those questions you came up with?"
Leo feigned innocence. "Which ones?"
"Oh, I don't know, maybe the one that says, 'In the unlikely event Tony Stark is kidnapped, what should the protocol be?' What is that even?"
"It's a test," Leo said plainly. "Gotta know how they react to oddly specific emergencies."
Tony stared, then let out a long sigh. "You're raising red flags, kid."
"Better red flags than red coffins," Leo shot back.
Tony smirked. "Touché."
##
Date: Mid December, 2000
Location: A hidden Base in Swiss Alps.
##
The roar of rotor blades thundered through the narrow pass, scattering snow like ash over the jagged crags of the Swiss Alps. A sleek, matte-black chopper descended onto a concealed landing pad, its hull etched with the polished gunmetal monogram "VDI"—Von Doom Industries. It shimmered faintly against the matte surface, subtle but unmistakable to those who knew what it meant.
The side door hissed open before the craft had fully settled. Nathaniel Essex stepped out, his long coat snapping in the wind. His boots crunched on the ice as he strode across the reinforced landing platform. Two dozen soldiers in dark gear stood at attention along the corridor into the mountainside, saluting with silent discipline.
Essex didn't slow, didn't even glance their way. His eyes were already ahead, fixed on the steel-paneled entrance as it opened before him, revealing a descending lift that sank deep into the earth. The soft hum of unseen machinery enveloped him as the door sealed shut behind.
Moments later, he emerged within the subterranean facility, a vast complex buried beneath a forgotten World War II bunker. The air buzzed with hidden energy—quiet hums, faint echoes of unseen systems, and the ever-present sense of being watched by something more than cameras.
Two guards flanking a thick titanium door stood taller as Essex approached. Neither spoke as they swung it open.
Inside the meeting room, the lighting was low, sleek panels illuminating a polished obsidian table surrounded by high-backed chairs. Alexander Pierce sat at the far end, composed in a tailored charcoal suit, his posture impeccable. To his right reclined Lady Viper, draped in a dark green ensemble that gleamed faintly like serpent scales.
Essex's gaze swept over them, his expression unreadable. "Alexander. Viper."
"Nathaniel," Pierce greeted with a faint nod.
"Mr. Essex," Viper purred with a smile that never reached her eyes. "As punctual as ever."
He moved without urgency to his seat and settled in, crossing one leg over the other. Before the silence grew too long, Viper leaned forward slightly.
"I must thank you for the serum. The effects were… exquisite."
Essex offered a rare smile, thin and sharp. "Hardly a challenge. Though, I wouldn't mind seeing a bit more generosity in my next budget. Innovation tends to favor the well-funded."
Viper's lips curled. "That can be arranged."
Essex tilted his head, then turned his attention to Pierce. "Any word… about her?"
Pierce's face barely shifted. "As I told you last year, the last confirmed sighting was Sokovia. She knows how we operate, Essex. She's too careful to leave a trail."
A brief pause lingered in the air. Essex's eyes narrowed faintly, but he said nothing for a heartbeat.
"Still refusing the serum?" he asked finally, his tone lighter.
Pierce gave a short laugh. "Perhaps one day. But for now? It'd be difficult to explain why the director of Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division suddenly looks like he stepped out of a patriotic propaganda reel. Maybe after I secure my seat on the World Security Council, I will consider it."
"Quite a mouthful to say." Lady Viper lightly comments at the name.
"We are still working on it" Piers answers.
Soon The door opened again.
Baron Wolfgang von Strucker entered, his monocle gleaming under the cold light. He offered no greeting, merely a firm nod before taking his place at the table. Soon after, Daniel Whitehall arrived, face like carved stone, sliding into his chair with eerie silence.
Time stretched for a moment as the group waited.
Then, heavy boots echoed in the corridor outside.
The door opened.
General Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross stepped into the room, the flickering light casting deep shadows over his stern features. His military coat was dusted with snow, his jaw clenched as though the entire meeting was already a waste of his time.
Strucker arched a brow. "As ever, the last to arrive."
Ross grunted, unamused. "Some of us still deal with real problems."
He moved to his seat with the weight of authority and the weariness of someone who had wrestled too long with bureaucracy and war.
One by one, the heads of Hydra took their places around the table. The room fell silent, each gaze turning toward Pierce.
He straightened in his seat, folded his hands.
"Let the annual meeting begin."
#
The hours passed in methodical cadence, reports were given and received with mechanical precision. Strategies refined, operations detailed, regions of influence updated. One by one, each head presented their results with practiced professionalism.
Only Nathaniel Essex remained.
He leaned forward, fingers steepled. "Most of my ongoing projects are progressing smoothly. The enhancements in gene-splicing and retroviral delivery have reduced subject rejection rates by 12%."
Pierce raised a brow. "And the serum?"
Essex allowed himself a small nod. "Stabilization is within reach. If projections hold, we should have a fully optimized variant of the super soldier serum within five years."
A quiet murmur of satisfaction rippled through the room.
Pierce glanced down at his tablet, eyes narrowing ever so slightly. "And the boy?"
The table quieted.
Essex's lips curved faintly. "Subject A-19 has shown… peculiar results. Early manifestations indicate psychological schism. A secondary persona has emerged. Aggressive. Unbound. But highly reactive to suggestion."
Pierce hummed thoughtfully. "A side effect?"
"Perhaps," Essex replied, almost amused. "Or perhaps evolution. A mind divided can be rebuilt—molded to serve a higher cause. He'll be just perfect."
"Good," Pierce said with satisfaction, tapping the edge of his tablet. "Then I suppose this calls for a small celebration."
Within minutes, the doors slid open. Two soldiers entered, carrying a black wooden case sealed in wax and steel. They set it down with a respectful nod, unveiling aged wine bottles, each labeled in cursive script: Château Margaux, 1902.
Pierce rose with a glass, raising it high.
"To Hydra's future and prosperity."
Glasses clinked softly in the cold underground air.
The break was brief—no toasts beyond Pierce's. No laughter, only satisfied silence. Then the room settled once again into order.
Pierce's gaze hardened as he flicked to a new page on his tablet. "Let's talk about potential problems."
He tapped his tablet which sended—an intelligence profile to everyone, the face of a man in his early forties. A Sharp eye, Tightly kept beard.
"Nick Fury. Clearance Level 7."
Pierce Continued. "He's more dangerous than he looks. In the last three years alone, he's led or assisted in more than eighteen high-priority operations across five continents. His success rate hovers at 95%"
"He also the backing of Peggy Carter and her loyalists. That's where the problem lies. His background as Carter's Protege gives him legitimacy—and worse, sentiment. People follow him because of what he represents."
Ross grunted. "The past always gets in the way."
"I've sent him on suicide missions dressed up as promotions," Pierce said, swirling the last of his wine. "He keeps surviving. He's either the luckiest man alive or—"
"—has outside help," Viper finished, narrowing her eyes. "Off-world, perhaps?"
Pierce nodded once. "He's had contact with Danvers in the past. I suspect he has connections we haven't mapped yet."
Strucker leaned forward, hands clasped. "Then we'll need to act before he becomes the next director."
"We will." Pierce replied. "But quietly."
Viper tapped her nails against the table. "Speaking of which…"
The conversation turned darker. Names weren't said. No cities mentioned. Only a date passed between them.
"Tuesday," Viper said, the word like a dagger's whisper. "Preparations are complete. I have set the stage. Financial institutions are already showing the signs. Minor instability today will becomes tomorrow's chaos."
Ross nodded. "We'll push for security expansion under the guise of national defense. The military budget is easily manipulated when fear does the talking."
Strucker's voice was low. "People will willingly call out for Stricter Surveillance, It would make Project Neo more achievable."
Whitehall said nothing, eyes distant.
Essex glanced to the side, clearly disinterested in geopolitical affairs. His mind was already brainstorming what new project he would start.
after many more discussions finally Pierce stood at the head of the table, closing his tablet.
He straightened his coat and said.
"Cut off one head…"
And every voice replied as one:
"…two more shall take its place."
Then together, hands lifted in unison, voices sharp and resolute—
"Hail Hydra!"
##
Word count: 2229
Author's note:
After either one or two chapters, a timeskip will happen and finally the MCU will begin for this timeline.
I know this all might seem boring to some or too much boring build up but that's what you get if you want to include so many marvel franchises in a single reasonable timeline.
If I rush for the timeskip, many will definitely complain later that why is the timeline so different from what they saw in the MCU along with visible confusion on what is happening.
So be warned, O dear reader.
Although This timeline is built upon the MCU timeline. I have also incorporated other elements that didn't exist before like the fantastic four. They all need to fit and make sense. I won't try to hold onto the canon MCU plotline just because that's what most readers are familiar with.
This is no longer just the MCU you knew. This is The 616 MCU and more. The one Kevin feige would have loved to make if he had all the Ips.
I will try to explain what I can explain and if you still have any confusion, no worries ask questions and I will explain in future chapters.
For example, most of you would probably think this MCU begins in 2008 with Iron man. Oh my reader, I pity you. if only it would have been that simple.
I had to brainstorm constantly to think of the ideal way to implement all them. The exact reason why I am actually scrambling to write this chapter right now. I was so busy brainstorming and procastinating the past few days or so that I forgot to write chapters 6 lmao.
Anyways. Thank you for reading, See you next month.
#
Current schedule: 30th (This chapter),2nd Of may (Next chapter), 4th of May (Next Chapter)
Weekly Challenge: 25 Power stone for 1 extra chapter. (upto 4 at max)
Monthly Challenge: 100 Power stone for 1 extra chapter. (That's all)
An ideal Example: Let's say you usually get 15 chapters per month. If you complete the challenges then you get upto extra 5 chapters that month. Thus it could be 20 chapters a month.