Chapter 4: Iron Shadows and Hidden Blades
Back in his room, the system's interface lingered like a persistent ghost, updating with a new notification as Alex processed his Assassin's Creed rewards. His senses felt sharper already—the faint hum of the estate's air vents clearer, the subtle shift in shadows more noticeable. But the real boon was the knowledge: stealth tactics that could slip him past guards, vital points for quick takedowns. Not superhuman, just enough to give him an edge in a world where uncles built suits and cousins vanished into the night.
[Simulation Update: Assassin's Creed - Templar Hunter Anchored]
[Return Access: Re-enter for Advanced Training - Cost: 3 Credits]
Alex frowned. Anchored? It meant he could dive back in, level up his skills further—maybe unlock eagle vision or better blades. But with zero credits left, it was useless for now. He mentally poked at the menu, spotting a re-roll option for new worlds. Why not? With the system active, confidence surged through him. No more hiding in labs; he could face real dangers. Hydra lurked, the Joker schemed, and closer to home... Obadiah Stane. Alex's meta-knowledge flagged the man as a traitor, selling weapons under the table, plotting against Tony. Time to dig.
He selected re-roll, the menu refreshing with new options. But before he could choose, his phone buzzed—Pepper. "Alex, Tony's en route to Afghanistan for that demo. He said to tell you 'don't blow up the lab while I'm gone.'" Alex's stomach dropped. Already?The Iron Man origin was unfolding. He tried calling Tony, but no answer—signal jammed or ignored in his playboy haze. Alex paced, frustration mounting. He knew the plot: kidnapping, cave escape, birth of the suit. Tony would survive, emerge as Iron Man. Interfering might derail that. Fine, he thought. Focus on Stane. Gather dirt, expose him early.
For days, Alex hacked discreetly—using his Assassin's Creed-honed sensitivity to eavesdrop on board meetings, blending into Stark Industries' shadows like an apprentice Assassin. He pilfered emails, traced offshore accounts, uncovering Stane's black-market deals with terrorists. But news broke before he could act: Tony Stark missing in Afghanistan, convoy ambushed. The world reeled.
Pepper collapsed in tears at the estate, Alfred comforting her with tea while she clutched her phone. Elias and Helena mobilized, leveraging old SHIELD contacts—Fury himself owed them favors. "We won't lose another family member," Elias growled, eyes haunted by the "deaths" of Howard and Thomas. Helicopters scrambled, agents deployed, but Elias harbored doubts about Stane. "Obie's been with us forever," he muttered to Helena. "He wouldn't be that cruel." Alex wanted to storm Afghanistan himself, system or no, but held back. This is Tony's crucible. He needs it to become Iron Man.
Three months dragged like years. Alex compiled a dossier on Stane—videos of secret meetings, audio of him ordering the hit on Tony. Then, miracle: Tony returned, gaunt but alive, rescued by the Air Force (or so the cover went). At the airport, amid flashing cameras, Tony hugged Pepper first, then pulled Alex into a bone-crushing embrace. "Missed you, kid. Don't grow up too fast." Alex grinned, relief flooding him, but his eyes scanned for threats.
The press conference unfolded as Alex remembered: cheeseburgers, Tony's bombshell announcement to shut down Stark Industries' weapons division. Elias bristled at first, storming the boardroom. "This is reckless, Tony! Howard built this empire on defense." But as Tony explained—eyes fierce with newfound purpose—Elias softened, seeing his brother's ghost in his nephew. "Alright. We'll pivot. Clean energy, tech for good."
Meanwhile, Alex struck. He anonymously leaked the dossier to SHIELD and the FBI—videos of Stane plotting Tony's assassination, ties to the Ten Rings. Stane was arrested that night, ranting about betrayals as agents hauled him away. No Iron Monger suit, no final showdown. Alex had nipped it early, a quiet victory.
Tony dove into his workshop, forging the Mark 2. Alex hovered, offering suggestions from his meta-knowledge: "What about icing at high altitudes? Add anti-freeze protocols." Tony chuckled, incorporating tweaks, but the core remained his genius. When the old reactor faltered, Pepper still handled the swap, her hands steady despite the tension. Tony shared schematics with Alex—"You're family, kid. Help me refine this."—but the arc tech baffled him. Equations swam, circuits eluded his grasp. Disappointing; Alex wanted to build his own suit, keep Tony's secret buried. He didn't want the world knowing Iron Man yet—too many eyes, from SHIELD to unknown threats like Vought's shadows he hadn't uncovered.
Events cascaded as in the movie, minus Stane: Tony's test flights, confronting terrorists in Gulmira, the Air Force scramble with F-22s chasing the unidentified bogey—two planes nearly crashing before Tony's intervention. Rhodes covered it up, but whispers grew. Alex watched from afar, system menu tempting him with re-rolled options, but real life demanded focus.
Then, one day, news broke: Bruce Wayne, long absent, spotted in Gotham. Back from his journey, cloaked in mystery. Alex's pulse quickened. Batman's rising. The family puzzle was reassembling, but in this multiverse mash-up, what shadows would it cast?