"Come on, Tony."
Henry curled his lip and shrugged. "If you'd been there, the first thing you would've done is rush in and tear that tin can apart, drooling over the parts... Where would all the fun in the story be then? And besides, didn't I bring you the pieces?"
"That's not the same!" Tony rolled his eyes. "It's about the process! The process is what matters! Ever heard of immersive experience?"
"I haven't," Henry shot back, rolling his eyes right back at him. "What I have heard is my stomach growling. I need to recharge. A ton of high-calorie food. Preferably from that donut shop you love in L.A." He gave Tony a pointed look.
Tony froze for a moment, then threw up his hands. "Considering you ditched our team-building trip, made unauthorized contact with an unidentified alien entity, and caused massive property damage—your donuts are confiscated! For a month!"
"Fuck! Tony Stark!" Henry looked like he'd just heard the world's biggest joke.
Confiscate his donuts? What kind of twisted logic was that?!
"I was out there doing interstellar diplomacy! Laying the foundation for Stark Industries' future cosmic expansion! And you're docking me donuts for that?! You damn capitalist!"
"I am," Tony crossed his arms smugly. "What are you gonna do about it?"
"Fuck—"
Just as a full-blown argument over donut ownership was about to erupt, Banner quickly stepped in to defuse the tension.
"Uh, Tony, Henry," he said carefully. "Maybe we should, you know... analyze that Uru sphere first? Its scientific value is off the charts."
The two brothers exchanged a look, then both sighed and rolled their eyes away from each other.
In the end, science won out over sibling rivalry.
"Fine," Tony relented first, pointing at the metal sphere. "JARVIS, move it to the lab—maximum security level. Bruce, you're with me. I'll need that big brain of yours."
He turned toward Henry with a shrug. "And you're coming too. You brought this thing home, you're seeing it through."
Henry smirked and followed along. On his way past the bar, he snatched an apple from the fruit bowl and took a huge bite.
...
Inside the lab, robotic arms gently set the compressed Uru sphere in the center of the workstation. A ring of scanners and analysis modules surrounded it, lights flashing as streams of complex data filled the holographic displays.
Tony, Henry, and Banner stood shoulder to shoulder, eyes locked on the swirling projections.
"Incredible," Tony murmured, his gaze fixed on the atomic structure model. "Its composition isn't static... it's shifting. There's active energy flow inside the lattice itself. Is this... the essence of magic? Encoding energy laws directly into matter?"
"Not just that." Banner pointed at another data feed. "JARVIS has detected over a dozen unknown particles, all perfectly stable and coexisting inside the metal. They're forming a self-sustaining energy loop. This isn't just a metal—it's a perpetual motion engine."
"Which explains its regeneration and energy absorption," Henry said, rubbing his chin. "Loki must've remotely activated it using some kind of initial power source, letting it draw energy from its surroundings afterward. A perfect war machine."
"A perfect bastard," Tony muttered. "But hey, this bastard's ours now."
His lips curved into a grin, eyes gleaming with creative fervor. "JARVIS! Run simulations—design a new Arc Reactor using Uru as the core! I want output at least double the current maximum."
He turned to Henry. "And you—upload your armor data. We're designing a new nanotech suit with Uru and Vibranium as the foundation. It'll be indestructible."
"That, I can get behind," Henry grinned.
"And!" Banner added, excitement lighting up his face. "If we can extract those stable particles, I might finally find a way to control the Hulk—by stabilizing gamma energy!"
Three of Earth's greatest minds—driven by divine metal and pure curiosity—were soon locked in a creative frenzy, tossing theories, countering, refining.
Meanwhile, Blonsky had gone off to train, while Wanda and Pietro lingered near the entrance, watching.
"Are they... always like this?" Pietro asked quietly.
"I don't know," Wanda shook her head, her eyes drifting toward Henry.
He was animated, gesturing passionately as he argued with Tony. For the first time, Wanda saw the man beneath the sarcasm and swagger—a man utterly alive when immersed in his passion.
Just then, a robotic arm silently slid over and placed a small white box—decorated with a donut logo—beside Henry.
Tony was still ranting about reactor geometry, completely oblivious.
Henry paused mid-sentence, glanced at the box, then at Tony's back. A small smile tugged at his lips. He opened it.
Inside were his favorite donuts—still warm.
That proud bastard.
Henry picked one up and took a big bite. Sweet, soft, perfect.
His gaze softened as he watched Tony work. Maybe... this was what family was. Someone who grumbles at you nonstop—but still makes sure you get exactly what you want.
"Hey, Tony," Henry said suddenly.
"Can't you see I'm busy changing the world here?" Tony muttered without looking up, fingers flying across the hologram.
Henry didn't answer. He just picked up the donut box and dropped it squarely in front of Tony's screen, blocking his view.
"Hey—" Tony snapped, ready to scold him—then met Henry's grin.
"One man can't change the world on an empty stomach," Henry said, leaning on the table, a donut in hand. "Sugar's good for the brain. Don't tell me the great Tony Stark doesn't have time for a snack."
Tony blinked, then snorted, his irritation fading. He grabbed a donut, bit in, and chewed like it was no big deal.
Henry chuckled. "Thanks, bro."
Tony froze mid-bite at the word bro. He swallowed, cleared his throat, and muttered, "Next time, tell them to get strawberry. Sea-salt caramel's too damn sweet."
The lab felt a little lighter after that.
Banner smiled quietly at the brothers. For a brief moment, he thought about his own "brother." The green one. Maybe what the Hulk needed wasn't suppression—but understanding. Even if it came with donuts.
He turned to the glowing sphere of Uru metal and the half-built models on the screen. Maybe... he really could find a way to make peace with himself here.
At the doorway, Wanda and Pietro exchanged looks.
"They made up... over donuts?" Pietro whispered. "I really thought they were gonna fight."
Wanda didn't answer. She just watched—their laughter, the light, the teamwork. It was nothing like the fear and commands of HYDRA's labs.
Here, there was warmth. Freedom. Belonging.
She looked at Henry again—the way he smiled, the spark in his eyes.
Maybe, just maybe, this was what home could feel like.
Tony clapped his hands, breaking the moment. "Alright, donut time's over! Back to business. We've got two guests and one toy to deal with. I need a plan."
He looked at Henry expectantly.
"Don't look at me, you're the CEO," Henry said around a bite of donut. "I'm just the guy handling the fieldwork."
"Fieldwork?!" Tony scoffed. "What kind of employee punches alien robots into scrap metal and dumps the cleanup on his boss?"
"See? You admit I'm your employee. So technically, I take orders from you." Henry smirked. "You should be proud."
Tony couldn't help laughing. "Fine, Mr. Ordinary Employee." He cleared his throat. "Let's deal with our guest first. JARVIS, pull up John Garrett's live feed."
The main display flickered, showing Garrett pacing anxiously inside a heavily monitored holding cell, now wearing an orange jumpsuit.
"That guy's not small fry," Henry quipped. "Project Centipede's lead, veteran S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, and Pierce's direct subordinate. His head's full of secrets."
"Exactly," Tony nodded. "And I haven't even used sonic mapping on his brain yet. But first—I want him to meet his masterpiece."
At his command, the screen split in two. On the other side lay Michael Peterson, still unconscious in a medical pod, covered in sensors and monitors.
"JARVIS," Tony ordered, his tone cool. "Loop Peterson's vitals—heartbeat, respiration, unstable energy readings—and play them for Garrett twenty-four-seven. Volume at max. Let's see how long our dear creator lasts listening to the monster he made."
Banner shivered involuntarily.
Too ruthless.
That was pure psychological torture.
Tony Stark was an undisputed genius… even in the art of torment.
"As for Peterson," Tony's tone softened as he turned to Banner. "Bruce, he's yours. Use every medical resource Stark Industries has. Stabilize the virus in his body if you can. We need to understand exactly what it is before we can hope to cure him."
He paused for a moment, then added, "JARVIS, find his son. Make sure the kid's safe. Hire the best therapists available, and set up a private trust fund through the Stark Foundation to cover all his future living and education expenses."
Tony gave that order without a hint of hesitation.
Wanda and Pietro exchanged glances from the corner, both stunned by what they saw.
This was the same arms dealer they used to hate?
The same man they once thought was the embodiment of greed and destruction?
He was now doing all this… for a stranger and his child?
The twins found themselves even more certain—they'd chosen the right side.
Banner dove straight into work. He pulled up Peterson's biological scans and frowned deeply as the data streamed across the holographic display.
"This is… strange," he murmured. "Tony, look at this. The serum in his system does grant him enhanced strength and regeneration, but it's not just cellular reinforcement. It's hacking into the body's bioelectric network—rewriting commands for energy flow and tissue repair. But the program is sloppy. The system's unstable, and one surge could cause total meltdown."
Tony leaned closer, studying the chaotic yet oddly rhythmic cellular patterns. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Sounds like… a virus? A virus that can program the human body?"
"Exactly!" Banner's eyes lit up. "A bio-programmable virus! But this concept is way ahead of anything on Earth. How could HYDRA—those outdated Nazi relics—come up with something this brilliant?"
"They didn't."
A lazy voice drifted over. Henry set down the device he'd been fiddling with and looked at the data model on-screen, a glint of understanding in his eyes.
"This kind of biological hacking sounds a little familiar, doesn't it?" He turned toward Tony with a teasing smirk. "Hey, Tony, remember New Year's Eve, 1999, in Bern, Switzerland?"
Tony blinked. Clearly, he wasn't following Henry's train of thought.
"1999? I've been to too many parties, kid. You'll have to be more specific. Was it the one with the Swedish twin models?"
"Stop right there, you hormone-powered idiot." Henry cut him off flatly.
"I mean the one at the top floor. A limping guy in a cheap suit wanted to pitch you a project called AIM. And a gorgeous botanist you spent the night with."
Tony's brow furrowed as he dug through his mental archives.
"Oh… right." He snapped his fingers. "That weirdo—Aldrich Killian! And the woman… Maya Hansen. I might've stood the guy up. Left him freezing on the rooftop all night. So what about them?"
"Oh, you did more than that." Henry's grin widened, eyes gleaming with mischief.
"Didn't you also scribble something on the back of Maya's business card? Helped her fix an equation?"
Tony froze. His expression stiffened. His eyes widened in sudden recognition.
"I…"
"Yes, you did," Henry finished for him. "Congratulations, Tony. Those little doodles of yours happened to solve her biggest obstacle. The crucial flaw in her research. Later, she teamed up with Killian. Together, they called their creation the Extremis Virus. In other words—" Henry pointed at the biological model of Peterson on-screen, "—you, Tony Stark, are the godfather of the Extremis Virus' stability."
"MotherFu–!" Tony's face turned black as soot.
This wasn't just a slap in the face—it was like someone grabbed his own hand and made him slap himself, twice, hard.
One careless equation. One random stroke of genius at a party. And it ended up becoming the theoretical foundation for HYDRA's monster-making program?!
For Tony, that was the ultimate humiliation.
"Aldrich Killian…" Tony spat the name through clenched teeth, eyes flashing dangerously. "A failed nobody I left out in the cold—and he used my work for this?!"
He took a sharp breath. "JARVIS! Search everything on AIM and Aldrich Killian! I want every record from the company's founding to today. Hack their servers, pull all data on Extremis. I want to see exactly what those bastards have done!"
The lab fell silent except for the rapid scrolling of data across the holographic screens.
Then, after a few tense minutes—JARVIS' calm voice broke the stillness.
"Sir, I've infiltrated AIM's external network and business servers. However, their core research database is physically isolated with multiple layers of encryption. It's completely offline. I cannot access those files from the outside."
"Fuck!" Tony slammed a hand on the console. "An air-gapped system! Those bastards actually went old-school. What are we supposed to do, fly down there and steal the hard drives? Not exactly my style."
He glanced sideways at Henry. Something told him that was exactly what his brother was about to do.
"Who said anything about stealing?"
Henry dusted off his hands, having just finished the last bite of his donut. He strolled over to Tony, eyes twinkling as he stared at the red ACCESS DENIED flashing on the screen.
"Technical problems don't always need technical solutions."
He tapped a finger to his temple, then pointed at his eyes.
"Sometimes, a little brute-force physics works better."
Tony and Banner both froze.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Tony asked warily.
Henry shrugged. "They can hide the servers under concrete, wrap them in a million firewalls—but none of that stops me from seeing through walls. I'll just fly over there, read everything inside their drives… and memorize it."
The lab went dead silent.
Everyone except Tony was staring at him like he'd just declared war on logic itself.
That's how he uses his x-ray vision?!
Tony's mouth twitched. "You're serious?"
"Of course." Henry grinned. "Their HQ's in Florida, right? Perfect. I've had enough of California sunshine anyway. Time to sample the East Coast."
He stretched, turned toward the door, and started walking away.
"Hey! You're seriously going alone again?!" Tony shouted after him.
"It's called market research, Tony," Henry called back, waving a hand without looking. "You stay here and figure out how to melt that Uru sphere. When I get back with the manual, we'll get to work."
His figure vanished down the hallway.
Tony stared after him for a long moment—then burst out laughing in sheer disbelief.
That bastard. Always stealing the coolest part of the job.
He turned to see Banner wearing the same exasperated look. Tony sighed and shrugged.
"Well, looks like our field team just got downsized again."
Banner chuckled helplessly.
Tony's gaze shifted back to the glowing Uru metal on the workbench. The gleam of obsession reignited in his eyes.
"Alright then," he murmured, rolling up his sleeves. "Let's see what secrets you're hiding."
He wasn't worried about Henry. Not one bit.
If anything, the only people in danger… were the ones Henry was flying toward.