Close

Two days ago.

"Sorry, Mr. Stark, but I think we might be falling a little behind here," Dr. Hines admitted, leaning forward with a furrowed brow. He was seated around a long, polished table with the other members of the Star Technology Committee. They all looked tense and uncertain as they turned their attention to the man—or rather, the holographic projection—of Tony Stark at the head of the table.

The projection of Stark was so lifelike that it almost felt as though he were there in person. But they knew Stark was actually far away, likely in one of his labs, working tirelessly. Stark had become an elusive figure, rarely attending meetings in person. The committee members speculated that he must have a critical role in the alliance, one so important he didn't have time for simple face-to-face meetings.

In their minds, Stark was constantly occupied with high-level decision-making and strategy, directing the course of the alliance with a steady hand. But in reality, Stark wasn't busy managing others—he was busy working. Charlie, the alliance leader, relied on Stark as his primary scientific mind, entrusting him with one massive research project after another. Stark was so bogged down by lab work that even Iron Man's famous energy and focus were stretched thin.

"You mean we're planning on building a satellite?" Dr. Hines asked, clarifying Stark's latest idea.

"A defense hub powered by a super-sized arc reactor," Stark explained. "But, yeah, you could think of it as a satellite. It'll be in low Earth orbit and can handle most of your current satellite functions. In fact, it'll replace your existing communication system entirely. It'll be more stable, more efficient, and have a wider range."

Stark leaned forward in the hologram, his expression growing more serious. "And it gets better. This station will have deep-space detection, something none of your current equipment has. It'll have ultra-long-range radar to detect alien activity. And trust me—you don't need me to tell you why that's essential right now."

The members of the Star Technology Committee exchanged glances. Nobody spoke, but the importance of Stark's words was clear on each of their faces. After the discovery of the mysterious "Descent Core" and increasing rumors of alien threats, they all knew how vital it was to protect Earth from intruders. Alien threats were now a top concern, and any technology that could help them detect and prepare for such encounters was immediately valuable.

But Stark wasn't done outlining the plan. What he envisioned for the space station went far beyond a basic satellite; it was to be a combination of a communications system, an armory, and a weapon.

Charlie had drawn some inspiration from the Justice League's Watchtower. In the original designs, the Watchtower had a superweapon capable of delivering precision strikes from space. While Charlie's station didn't have that exact weapon, he'd found something comparable within Iron Man's arsenal.

Stark had once designed an orbital weapon controlled by a remote AI called "Lucy." From orbit, Lucy could deliver a devastating blast to any point on the planet's surface. This blast was powerful enough to melt an entire military base into molten rubble. Using the energy of the arc reactor, Lucy could unleash force far beyond anything Stark's individual suits were capable of.

Charlie also had a plan to install another piece of advanced tech on the station: the "Iron Man Six."

Though Stark's armor development had only reached Mark 43 based on the movies, some of his comic-based technology had carried over. One of these advanced designs was called Iron Man Six.

In an alternate reality known as Earth-1610, a version of Tony Stark created the Iron Man Six armor. But this wasn't a standard suit like his previous creations; it was a giant, flying fortress, almost as large as the S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier, and it was built in Iron Man's image. This massive machine had a reactor core and individual reactors in its limbs, allowing it to operate as a fully armed war machine. In fact, the Iron Man Six was more like a mobile military base than a suit, loaded with heavy weaponry and designed for large-scale combat.

Iron Man Six was Stark's answer to high-stakes battles, allowing him to decimate entire fleets of enemy mechas on his own. 

Of course, building the Iron Man Six would take a long time and require enormous resources. And it was far too big and slow for missions requiring stealth or handling supernatural threats. But the increasing likelihood of an alien invasion made this a worthwhile investment in Charlie's eyes. Among all the heroes at his disposal, only Stark's technology was specifically tailored for full-scale warfare. 

Where other heroes excelled in individual combat or small battles, Iron Man's technology had the potential to turn the tide of a war. Iron Man's arsenal—from his army of drones and the Iron Legion to the satellite station and Iron Man Six—represented the future of Charlie's defensive and offensive capabilities.

This was why many on the Star Technology Committee viewed Iron Man as a potential savior.

---

Present day.

"A satellite powerful enough to replace every communication system on Earth."

Dr. Hines's voice echoed from a large TV screen as he explained the latest developments to the committee. "Our current navigation system will be entirely upgraded. Every user will have access to the satellite through Stark's smart wristbands, and they'll get more precise, intelligent, and far-reaching positioning than they've ever had before."

At the Ninth Special Service Division's camp near the ruins, a live broadcast of Dr. Hines's speech played on a screen, catching the attention of the agents nearby.

"A satellite?" Larry Wade scoffed, crossing his arms. "They're always coming up with new tricks."

"Do you really think it's just a satellite?" Agent Duan Lan asked, narrowing her eyes. "Especially with Stark involved, and in times like these?"

Ever since the spy tried to infiltrate the camp, some of the division's top agents had been assigned to watch over it. They were tasked with both protecting the site and tracking down the group behind the attack.

"The situation keeps getting more intense," Duan Lan said thoughtfully. "Any second now, aliens or gods could start showing up. This strange box might be the key, and there are plenty of people interested in it."

"Whoever they are, they'd better not cross our path," Ivan muttered, flicking ash from his cigarette. He was still angry that he'd been caught off guard by the spy and was eager to find the ones responsible.

"Watch your language," a firm voice called out.

They all turned to see Captain America making his way across the camp, his shield at his side. His posture was strong, and his presence had a natural authority that made everyone stand a little straighter.

"The Captain says no swearing," Larry muttered to Ivan with a grin. Ivan grumbled, putting out his cigarette, though he looked like a scolded recruit who'd been caught whispering during a lecture.

"Any leads?" Captain America asked, his gaze steady.

Charlie had stationed Captain America at the camp as an extra layer of security. Most of the time, he was controlled by AI, so he rarely initiated conversations. But today, Charlie was personally controlling him to get an update.

"We've got a little," Felix replied. "We ID'd the spy as Roxon, a former hitman. He disappeared two weeks ago, and no one's seen him since. We tracked his last known location and sent agents there to check it out."

Captain America wasn't their official superior, but he had a presence that made them feel like they were reporting to a higher-up. When he asked questions, they answered instinctively, almost out of respect.

"Good. Keep me updated," Captain America said with a nod.

Felix turned and went back to his task.

"We have people handling this. If we need to escalate, we'll let you know," Captain America added reassuringly.

His words had a calming effect on the agents. Hearing one of the Avengers say they were handling the situation made it feel as though everything was under control, and their worries seemed to lessen.

Charlie, observing through Captain America's perspective, noticed Agent Duan Lan sneaking glances his way as if she wanted to say something.

Curious, Charlie turned Captain America's attention to her. "Is something on your mind, Agent?"

Duan Lan blinked, caught off guard. "Oh, uh, no, nothing," she stammered, looking away quickly. But after a moment, she hesitated, then looked back at him, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "Captain… I heard you're close with Mr. Stark, right?"

---

Read the entire fic on at P@treon.com/Onesword