The faint hum of Jarvis's voice, interspersed with Tony's sharp quips, drifted from the laboratory just down the hall, piquing Alex's curiosity as he wandered toward the source, his footsteps echoing softly on the polished floors of Stark Tower.
Inside, Tony was already hard at work, his fingers dancing across holographic displays that flickered with intricate data, each screen brimming with detailed schematics and historical records about the Cosmic Cube, the glowing artifact at the heart of their current crisis.
Beneath the cynical, irreverent facade Tony so often wore, his dedication shone through—while others might still be recovering from the previous night's revelry, he was up at dawn, diving into research with a focus that belied his playboy reputation.
"Hey, Alex, how'd you enjoy the company last night?" Tony greeted, flashing a knowing grin that carried a universal camaraderie, his eyes twinkling with mischief as he leaned back in his chair.
Brushing off the teasing, Alex's gaze settled on the glowing data screens, his tone shifting to business. "What do you know about the Cosmic Cube so far?"
Tony's expression sobered as he delved into the matter at hand, instructing Jarvis to tuck away the scattered files, grabbing a bag of blueberries from the desk, and popping one into his mouth. "As an ancient proverb goes, plan before you act—since that trickster stole the Cosmic Cube, we need to figure out what it is and guess what he's plotting."
Alex nodded, silently agreeing with Tony's approach, his mind echoing the wisdom that knowing your enemy is the key to victory, a strategy that resonated deeply given the stakes of their situation.
He recalled from the original tales how Tony, in his deceptively carefree way, had analyzed Loki's personality to deduce that the Asgardian would construct a portal atop Stark Tower, a brilliant insight born of meticulous thought rather than mere guesswork.
"The Cosmic Cube surfaced during World War II, rumored to be a treasure of divine origin," Tony began, swiping a hand to enlarge a holographic screen filled with archival data. "Back then, Hydra's Red Skull sought to harness its power for mystical weapons…"
"You don't need to go into all that—I actually know more about the six Infinity Stones than anyone here," Alex interrupted, waving a hand to halt Tony's explanation, his voice carrying a quiet confidence that caught the billionaire off guard.
"Oh?" Tony's brow arched, his curiosity piqued as he leaned forward, blueberry forgotten. "Infinity Stones? What's that about?"
Alex paused briefly, weighing his words, but saw no reason to hold back, his knowledge a potential asset in their fight. "To put it simply, the universe holds six Infinity Stones—Time, Space, Soul, Reality, Mind, and Power—each wielding unimaginable power…"
-----------------
"Time, Space, Reality, Mind, Soul, and Power—these six Infinity Stones are the universe's most potent treasures, each imbued with extraordinary, almost magical abilities," Alex explained, his voice steady as he introduced the cosmic artifacts to Tony, his words carrying the weight of forbidden knowledge.
"The Cosmic Cube? It's merely the vessel for the Space Stone, one piece of this vast, universe-altering puzzle," he added, his gaze fixed on the holographic screens flickering in Stark Tower's laboratory, their glow reflecting the gravity of his revelation.
Tony's eyes widened, a mix of awe and unease crossing his face. "So, there are six of these things out there? If someone collected them all, they'd be unstoppable, right?"
"That's an understatement," Alex nodded, his tone darkening as he dropped a bombshell. "From what I've learned, gathering all six Infinity Stones grants power beyond imagination—a single snap of the fingers could erase half the universe's life in an instant."
Tony's expression soured, his playful demeanor vanishing as the weight of Alex's words sank in, his past as an arms dealer making him all too aware of the destructive potential of such power, far surpassing even the deadliest nuclear arsenals.
"Something that dangerous shouldn't fall into anyone's hands, or the entire universe could be at risk," Tony muttered, his mind racing with the implications, the stakes suddenly far higher than he'd anticipated.
"Wait a second—is all this intel from SHIELD's archives?" Tony asked, his brow furrowing as he leaned forward, skepticism lacing his voice, unable to fathom how SHIELD, an Earth-bound agency, could possess such cosmic knowledge.
"No, SHIELD's in the dark about the Infinity Stones—this is my own knowledge," Alex clarified, nodding calmly as he recycled his cover story. "I only returned to Earth a few days ago, having spent years growing up among the stars, learning things SHIELD couldn't dream of."
"Then why keep this from SHIELD?" Tony pressed, his curiosity sharpening, puzzled by Alex's willingness to share such secrets with him but not with the agency he'd recently joined.
"There are three Infinity Stones on Earth right now—Time, Space, and Mind," Alex countered, his voice measured. "If SHIELD knew, what do you think they'd do? Your Iron Man armor's a game-changer—why not hand it over to the government?"
Tony fell silent, the parallel hitting home, his own refusal to surrender his armor rooted in the fear it could be twisted from a shield into a weapon of conquest, a fate he imagined the Infinity Stones might suffer in the wrong hands.
So, Alex, despite being part of SHIELD, withheld the truth about the Infinity Stones, his caution mirroring Tony's own protective instincts—a realization that sparked a rare sense of camaraderie in the billionaire, a feeling that their minds were cut from the same cloth.
"Infinity Stones…" Alex mused inwardly, his thoughts turning ambitious as he stood in the high-tech glow of Stark Tower, his heart stirring with the possibilities of the Marvel universe's vast treasures.
Beyond copying the genetic prowess, knowledge, or skills of legends like Thor or the Hulk, this dimension brimmed with artifacts of unimaginable power—the six Infinity Stones, Captain America's Vibranium Shield, the Eternal Fire—each a prize that could redefine his destiny.
"If I could secure just one Infinity Stone, it'd be a monumental gain," Alex thought, his mind racing with strategy. "Not only would it bolster my strength for the return to Silverlight Tower's zombie-infested halls, but removing a stone from play could thwart Thanos's plan to collect them all, saving the universe in the process."
"Sir, SHIELD has transmitted coordinates, requesting we rendezvous at the specified location to join the others," Jarvis's calm, synthetic voice announced, cutting through Alex's swirling thoughts about cosmic treasures and his eventual return to the zombie-infested Silverlight Tower.
"Talk about efficiency—SHIELD's moving at lightning speed," Alex remarked, realizing the agency had worked through the night to contact Dr. Bruce Banner and Captain America, swiftly assembling the core members of the Avengers Initiative.
Tony nodded, his expression a mix of amusement and grudging respect. "Guess SHIELD's really feeling the heat, pulling everyone together in a single day like this."
"Jarvis, pack up the data and store it on my private server," Tony instructed, his tone shifting to business as he and Alex prepared to depart Stark Tower, the weight of the mission settling over them like a gathering storm.
"Hold on—don't we need to sort out the guests from last night's party?" Alex asked, caught off guard by Tony's abrupt readiness to leave, his mind flashing to the lively crowd of women who had filled the penthouse hours earlier.
Tony smirked, his eyes glinting with mischief. "Relax, my staff'll handle them. What, got a taste for the high life already? Thinking of dragging a few partygoers to SHIELD? Didn't peg you for outshining me in the playboy department."
"I just don't operate like you, zipping up and walking away without a second thought," Alex muttered under his breath, his tone half-serious as he shot Tony a sidelong glance, unimpressed by the billionaire's cavalier attitude.
"No worries, once we wrap up this mess, we'll have plenty of time to throw another bash—maybe a few days of it," Tony replied, waving a hand dismissively, his grin suggesting he was already savoring the prospect of more carefree nights.
Alex raised an eyebrow, his voice dry. "Sure, and I bet Miss Pepper will stick around for that one, right?"
The mention of Pepper was like a splash of cold water, dousing Tony's enthusiasm as his grin faltered, the reminder of his committed relationship pulling him back to reality.
Though Tony's bohemian spirit thrived on spontaneity, his bond with Pepper anchored him, a responsibility he took seriously despite his flirtations with his old, unattached lifestyle.
"Forget it, single life's got its perks, like you've got going," Tony said, a fleeting hint of envy in his voice as he glanced at Alex, though his tone carried a playful edge.
"Oh, cool, so next time I see Pepper, I'll mention how much you miss being a bachelor?" Alex retorted, his face deadpan but his eyes twinkling with mischief, turning Tony's jab back on him.
"Alright, enough chatter—time's ticking, let's hit the plane," Tony cut in, raising his hands in mock surrender as Alex's mention of Pepper landed, urging them to move with a renewed sense of urgency.
With no baggage to slow them down, the two grabbed their essentials and boarded Tony's sleek private jet, its engines humming as it soared toward the SHIELD coordinates, cutting through the morning sky with purpose.
Meanwhile, two other aircraft streaked toward the same destination, carrying Captain America, Steve Rogers, and the Hulk, Bruce Banner, their paths converging as the Avengers prepared to unite against the looming threat.
----------------------------------