In a hidden chamber deep within Elric's underground facility, the hum of machinery filled the air like a low whisper of anticipation. Holographic screens floated silently in the air, projecting streams of data, global cybernetworks, and heatmaps of activity across the world.
In the center of the room stood Elric—arms crossed, expression unreadable.
A calm, almost mechanical female voice rang out.
"Aline, start the next phase of the plan."
There was a brief pause, followed by a confirmation.
"Yes, boss. The sequence is fully prepared. We can launch at any moment."
Elric's gaze narrowed slightly, a trace of caution flickering in his otherwise composed eyes.
"Be careful this time. Don't make it too easy for JARVIS to find."
Aline's tone didn't change, but a hint of amusement could be felt through her clinical efficiency.
"No need to worry. This will be the ninth test on JARVIS's source code today. He's strong—but for just this era."
The next plan was simple on the surface, yet devastatingly precise beneath.
A massive cyberattack.
Elric didn't need the attack to cripple infrastructure or bring economies to a halt. That would be reckless. No—he wanted just enough chaos to provoke, not destroy. Something that would seem random… but plant the exact seeds he needed.
A trillion dollars.
That was the estimated amount to be "stolen." Not to fund him. but for something more. Money transformed into evidence, and evidence into bait.
The execution would be elegant.
Aline, his elite AI hacker, would carry out the breach. She would mask her digital signature to appear as if it originated in China—but not too cleanly. If it looked simple, it would be dismissed as fabricated.
Instead, her attacks would bounce through IP addresses across dozens of countries. A scattered, erratic pattern—just like a normal cybercriminal would do. India. Kenya. Iceland. Chile. South Korea.
But this world was no longer normal.
Artificial Intelligence had become the new battleground, and he was not the only one who wielded it. Others were watching—listening—thinking.
That's why Aline would embed a breadcrumb trail, one that no human analyst could ever uncover, but that another AI—like JARVIS—absolutely would.
And when they found that trail, when they chased it back to its false origin, they would find a very obvious target: China.
The stolen trillion would be the smoking gun.
And what better way to make it convincing than to quietly spread the money among Chinese hacker groups, political outcasts, and covert operations? A reward that reeked of guilt.
Elric's eyes narrowed.
Retaliation for hulk.
"That should be enough to spark a small-scale conflict," he murmured.
Right then, Aline's voice interrupted again.
"Boss, you're trusting them too much. What if one of them launches a nuke? You'd be forced to expose yourself to stop it."
He paused. For a moment, silence stretched across the room like a cold breath.
Then, he smiled faintly.
"This much risk… I'm willing to take."
Choosing this country—this fragile, nuclear-armed world—had been no accident. In fact, the very presence of nuclear weapons among the major powers was a feature, not a flaw. The logic was cruel, but sound:
Mutually Assured Destruction was still the strongest leash on impulsive action.
None of them would be foolish enough to launch first. At least, that was his bet.
Another screen lit up. A wireframe schematic of a miniature arc reactor pulsed softly.
Elric turned his gaze toward the diagram.
"What's the status on Ivan Vanko?"
Aline responded with a trace of impatience.
"I'm helping Katerina as much as possible. But… Ivan Vanko isn't as brilliant as you described. Recreating an arc reactor seems to involve a significant amount of… luck."
"So it's harder than expected."
"Yes, but even so, it shouldn't take more than one month. Shall I just disable JARVIS and take the prototype?"
Elric shook his head.
"No need. Just assist them as you've been doing."
For now, Katerina remained the perfect proxy for him in Russia—doing every thing perfectly, as ordered.
And Tony stark the core mc of marvel.
"The best way to alienate Tony Stark from the U.S. government," he said, eyes gleaming with strategy, "is to let his suit fall into another country's hands."
No company—not even country's—could match the power of the Iron Man suit. So long as Stark's technology remained exclusive to him., it was tolerated. But the moment Russia acquired it, things would change.
Drastically.
National Security would override sentiment. The government would try to seize the suits, force Stark to surrender his tech "for the greater good."
For a proud genius and creator like Tony, there could be no greater betrayal.
He wouldn't forget it.
He wouldn't forgive it.
"And he is not giving it to them for free," A smile in his face.
The highest system access would be set… not to Russia. Not to Ivan Vanko. Not even to Katerina.
But to Aline.
The moment the world united to confront the supposed 'final boss'—the phantom mastermind manipulating nations from the shadows—the weapons they'd crafted with there own hand would suddenly turn against them.
That moment, when their gun barrels turned inward… would be beautiful.
NARUTO WORLD...
Inside the patriarch's house of the Uzumaki Clan, warm light spilled from paper lanterns as the family gathered for dinner. The low wooden table was set with freshly steamed rice, grilled river fish, and miso soup rich with mountain herbs.
Laughter echoed faintly from the village outside, but inside the room, a more personal conversation was unfolding.
"Hey Mom," Elric suddenly spoke up between bites of rice, his crimson hair swaying as he looked up from his bowl. "I wanna train a little more tonight."
His mother, a graceful woman with warm eyes and the signature red hair of their clan, tilted her head slightly in confusion.
"Again? Why, sweetheart?"
Elric's face lit up with excitement. "I'm developing a new technique—it's almost done! Just a little more, and I think I can crack it."
His mother blinked, clearly surprised. "That's impressive. But if it's something advanced, why don't you let your father help you out?"
Elric didn't miss a beat. "No, Mom. Dad's too weak now. If something unexpected happens, he might get hurt."
Clink.
The sound of chopsticks pausing mid-air.
Across the table, Elric's father froze with a half-eaten piece of tofu hovering in front of his mouth. A faint twitch danced across the corner of his lips as the words sank in.
He didn't say anything aloud, but in his heart, he let out a long, bitter sigh.
You didn't have to say it so directly, kid...
He shoved the tofu into his mouth with a silent groan, chewing slowly as the quiet indignation simmered behind his eyes.
His pride as a former shinobi took a direct hit, but at least the soup was good.