Alex Ray watched Tony Stark flying nearby in his Iron Man suit. The suit's various sensors and scanners emitted soft, constant hums—sounds that sharply contrasted with the eerie silence of this not-yet-awakened dimensional space.
In that void, Jarvis's calm and precise voice rang out louder than usual, piercing through the empty air and striking directly at Alex Ray's thoughts.
Jarvis sounded like a tireless butler, reporting endless streams of data.
One moment, he was detailing the current population statistics of Hell's Kitchen—every individual's age, gender, health status, and consumption habits. The next, he shifted seamlessly to calculations for a comprehensive power grid: where the energy would come from, how it would be distributed, and how to maintain a stable network to ensure electricity reached every sector of the dimension.
And then came the monumental food supply plan. Jarvis detailed everything from crop cultivation and livestock breeding to food storage and distribution systems—every step carefully designed to ensure Hell's Kitchen could become fully self-sufficient, allowing its citizens to live securely in their new home.
As Alex listened to the overwhelming tide of data, his brow furrowed in frustration. He unconsciously rubbed his temple, feeling a dull headache take hold.
He had originally believed that, armed with his intellect and advanced technology, relocating Hell's Kitchen into a new dimension would be a relatively straightforward task. In the world of science fiction, protagonists always made it look easy—like some genius neighbor creating entire worlds and then lounging in comfort, never bothered by the mundane logistics.
Reality, however, had given Alex a brutal slap in the face.
Not only had he created this new world, he was now saddled with the role of a reluctant god. He had to consider every detail that novelists never bothered to write—food sources, power supply, water recycling. Each problem towered before him like a mountain. Just hearing about them was exhausting.
Suddenly, the sound of approaching thrusters snapped Alex from his thoughts.
Tony Stark and Doctor Strange descended swiftly from the sky, returning to his side.
Tony removed his helmet, revealing a tired expression beneath. He glanced at Alex, and the two shared a silent exchange—mutual understanding laced with exhaustion and unease.
They looked at each other as if hoping the other would speak first.
"You going to say it?"
"How about you say it first?"
Alex chuckled at their awkward back-and-forth. "You two act like I'm going to bite. Just spit it out already."
Tony shrugged. "You already know what we're going to say."
"I do," Alex replied with a weary smile—one that barely masked the bitterness beneath.
Tony and Strange both exhaled, sharing a brief moment of relief.
"You understand that no dimensional space has ever sustained living humans before, right, Alex?" Strange began slowly. "Whether it's the undead in the Hell Dimension or demons in Dormammu's Dark Realm, none of them are truly human. That makes your plan… very ambitious."
"In the short term, we might sustain life with tech and magic," he continued. "But long term? Air density, gravitational variance, even unknown radiation levels—this place presents a host of dangers."
Tony picked up where Strange left off. "Yeah, as much as I hate agreeing with cape-boy here, he's not wrong. Creating your own world sounds awesome—but you may be biting off more than even you can chew. This isn't just a passion project; it's an undertaking that demands massive resources and time."
He paused and gave Alex a meaningful look. "And while money isn't exactly a problem for me, you... you're not planning on me funding this, are you?"
Before Alex could respond, Tony's eyes widened as realization struck. His pupils dilated, and the thought clicked into place.
"Wait. You're not seriously thinking I'll pay for this, are you?!"
Alex's smile turned sly. He tilted his head, saying nothing—but his grin spoke volumes.
"Oh, come on, Tony. You're the smart one here..."
Tony immediately waved him off, his expression shifting from disbelief to exasperation. "Absolutely not. No way. Even with my bank account, I'm not dumping that much cash into this madness! We're friends, Alex, but come on. Instead of pumping billions into a glorified escape bubble, why not just fix the real world?"
"Yeah, we're tight," he added. "But I'm still a businessman. I don't invest in lost causes."
Strange, observing the tension rise, finally stepped in.
"Tony, maybe Alex has his reasons. You know how he operates—he doesn't do things without purpose. There's got to be more to this than he's saying."
He turned toward Alex, eyes steady. "Right?"
Though the question hung in the air, his tone made it clear: this was a statement of trust, not doubt. It came from years of watching Alex act decisively—even when others didn't understand why.
Tony wasn't blind to that either.
He wasn't angry because Alex was reckless or wasteful—or even because Alex wanted his money.
He was angry because Alex hadn't told them anything.
He was angry because he'd been left in the dark, once again feeling helpless and uninformed.
And he knew, deep down, that whatever Alex was preparing for… it was serious. The kind of serious that made all their past battles look like warm-ups.
Alex hadn't moved Hell's Kitchen into a pocket dimension for fun.
He was preparing for war. A war so big, even Alex Ray doubted he could protect everyone.
The fact that he still went through with this move—despite having seen Tony and Strange's current strength—only made the truth clearer.
Their efforts hadn't been enough to change his mind.
Which meant the enemy they were facing was something far beyond what Earth's mightiest heroes could handle.
That realization stung Tony's pride. Worse, it made him feel powerless.
He had worked tirelessly for the last six months, pushing himself to his limits. He had trained, upgraded his armor, and designed new systems—all with the goal of standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Alex again.
He had hoped to surprise him.
But clearly, the surprise had been his.
Tony let out a bitter laugh at the thought.
Still, he wasn't one to wallow.
He clenched his fists, looked Alex dead in the eye, and straightened his posture.
He wasn't going to play second fiddle forever.
He would catch up. He would fight alongside Alex when the time came.
But for now...
Tony crossed his arms. "If you're not going to explain what the hell's coming, then I'm out. I'm not throwing a dime at this until you give me a damn good reason."
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Bonus Chapter - 150 Power Stones
2nd Bonus Chapter - 300 Power Stones
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