VCM What? You want me to build a mutant research institute?" The White Queen arched a perfectly shaped brow, staring at Ethan, who had just removed his mask, with a mix of surprise and skepticism.
"This is a decision I made after discussing it with Magneto," Ethan said, his voice steady.
"Our enemies study us relentlessly, dissecting every aspect of our abilities. Meanwhile, we know so little about ourselves. That needs to change."
Magneto nodded, his expression as resolute as ever.
"It's time we take control of our own evolution. If humans are going to analyze us like lab rats, we need to be ten steps ahead."
The White Queen leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "You realize this isn't just a simple project.
A facility like this would require resources, secrecy, and most of all, the right people."
Ethan smirked. "That's why I came to you, White Queen. Magneto told me how you played the Soviet Marshal like a chess piece during the Cold War.
You're far more dangerous in the shadows than you let on. This is your kind of game."
Her icy blue eyes narrowed, but there was a flicker of amusement. "Flattery will get you nowhere. But you're not wrong."
"You can recruit from within the Brotherhood," Magneto added. "Select individuals with clean backgrounds. I'll make sure the operation stays under the radar."
Ethan's smirk widened.
This was exactly the opportunity he was looking for.
Strength alone wouldn't be enough to lead—he needed influence, allies, and a foundation.
The Brotherhood had veterans who had survived years under Magneto's rule.
If they were still here, they weren't just strong—they were cunning and adaptable.
Starting from scratch wasn't an option.
He needed a shortcut, and this was it.
The White Queen studied him carefully.
"And what about you?" she asked. "You're dumping this whole operation on me while you sit back and watch?"
Ethan chuckled.
"I can guarantee that the X-Men won't interfere with anything you do. SHIELD won't either—I'll make sure of it. The X-Men will serve as a convenient distraction, and I'll provide valuable intel to keep us ahead."
The White Queen tapped a finger against her temple in thought.
"That information better be worth my time. SHIELD and Xavier's people aren't easy to predict, and if they get wind of this, the whole thing could come crashing down."
Ethan nodded, but what he didn't say was that his intel went beyond what anyone could expect.
Between mutant networks, SHIELD's leaks, and even whispers from the mystical world, he had sources no one else could tap into.
Not to mention… he already had a general idea of future events.
The movies and comics from his previous life were fading in his memory, but the key moments still stuck.
And now, maybe he could start putting them to use.
Before he could continue planning, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He frowned and pulled it out.
Nick Fury.
Why the hell was Fury calling him this late at night?
He answered. "Fury, what's the emergency?"
Fury's voice was sharp, laced with urgency. "Where the hell are you, Ethan? You didn't go home tonight."
Ethan leaned back and exhaled through his nose. "I'm handling something for Professor X. Location's classified."
Although he had an official position in S.H.I.E.L.D., Ethan was still, at his core, loyal to Professor X.
That meant he wasn't subject to S.H.I.E.L.D.'s constant surveillance or being called in at any time like a standard agent.
This was precisely why he dared to sneak off to a Brotherhood stronghold without worrying too much about repercussions.
"Alright, so are you done with your work?" Fury's voice came through the phone again.
"Just about. Why? You sound tense." Ethan raised an eyebrow.
If the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. was giving up on trying to pry into his whereabouts so easily, then something serious must have happened.
"Do you have a TV nearby? Turn it on, and you'll see for yourself."
Curious, Ethan grabbed the remote and powered up the screen.
Emergency news flashed across the display.
A live feed showed two massive robots—one large and hulking, the other smaller but sleek—engaged in a destructive brawl right in the middle of the city, tearing through streets and vehicles as if they were playground obstacles.
'Iron Man. So their fight started huh,'
"What the hell? Why does this scene look so familiar?" Ethan asked, continuing his act,
"Because it should." Fury's voice was laced with frustration. "Not long ago, we had two other guys pulling the same stunt."
Ethan's eyes narrowed. "Is it our playboy billionaire?"
"The little armored one is Tony," Fury confirmed, clearly grinding his teeth.
"And the big one? According to Coulson's latest intel, that's Obadiah Stane. The same Obadiah who kidnapped Tony in the Middle East. We confirmed that he was the mastermind behind Stark's abduction.
Instead of quietly taking him in, he somehow got his hands on Tony's prototype armor and souped it up into that monstrosity you're looking at now. What should've been a simple extraction turned into a full-blown disaster."
Ethan clicked his tongue.
"So you want me to take care of Stane? Fury, you're the director of S.H.I.E.L.D. You're calling me for something this small? That's pretty sloppy."
"You think I don't want to handle it myself?" Fury snapped.
"If this fight was happening somewhere in the Middle East, I'd have already called in an entire carrier strike group and leveled the place.
Hell, I wouldn't care if that oversized tin can could yell 'Autobots, roll out!'—I'd still blow it to hell.
But this is New York. I can't just send in attack choppers to rain hellfire down on Midtown.
The last idiot who tried something like that—General Ross—well, let's just say we haven't seen that motherfucker for a while."
Ethan exhaled. "Alright, fine. Just send me the location. I'll be there in a few minutes."
"Good. And hurry. Coulson is still on-site, and I have no idea how much longer he can hold things together."
Ethan paused. "…Okay, seriously, did Coulson piss you off recently? Because every mission he's been assigned lately feels like a death sentence."
"You think I haven't noticed?" Fury groaned. "I swear, he's a damn good agent, but lately, it's like trouble is magnetized to him.
This was supposed to be a simple retrieval mission—just grab a rich, bald guy with a grudge. Who the hell knew he had a second-phase transformation ready to go?"
...
"Tony!!" At the entrance of Stark Industries' lobby, Obadiah Stane bellowed Tony's name, his voice a mix of rage, resentment, and something almost like sorrow.
With a deafening crash, the towering, three-meter-high armored suit seized Tony—who was clad in his Iron Man suit—and slammed him into the ground like a ragdoll.
"Ever since your father died, I've carried this company on my back. I rebuilt Stark Industries! No one will destroy it—not the government, not our enemies, and certainly not you!" Obadiah roared, raising a massive metal foot and bringing it down toward Tony with crushing force.
"Tony!" Pepper, hiding nearby, gasped in horror, her face pale with fear.
"Miss Potts, I understand you're worried, but the best thing you can do right now is stay safe and not distract him," Coulson said calmly.
In a situation like this, waiting for backup was the smartest move.
Obadiah hovered into the air, his armor's propulsion system roaring to life.
"You know, Tony, I have to admit—I really like this suit." His voice crackled through the loudspeakers.
He sneered down at Stark.
"It's ironic, really. You wanted to eliminate weapons, yet you created the most powerful one of all. And now, I'll use it to end you."
With that, he ignited his thrusters and rocketed toward Tony, ready to strike with full force.
Tony quickly launched a barrage of miniature explosives.
The projectiles detonated on impact, but Obadiah's armor barely showed a scratch.
With a thunderous blow, he sent Tony hurtling across the pavement.
From the very start, Tony had been at a disadvantage.
The Iron Monger suit was just an oversized copy of his original Mark I prototype, but Stane had made one crucial change—he prioritized brute strength over finesse.
More armor, heavier firepower, and a larger energy output made it a walking tank.
The only downside?
It lacked flexibility.
Tony, ever the showman, had designed the Iron Man suit with efficiency, aerodynamics, and, of course, style in mind.
Obadiah had no such concerns.
His suit was a battering ram—less graceful, but devastating in a fight.
Worse still, Tony was running on a depleted Arc Reactor, having swapped out his power source in haste.
He simply didn't have the energy reserves for a prolonged battle.
"Coulson, do something!" Pepper clutched at the agent's sleeve as she watched her boss get pounded into the pavement.
"Relax," Coulson said with a small smile. "Reinforcements are here."
Just then, a sudden gust of wind tore through the battlefield.
A vortex formed in the air, swirling with unnatural force before dissipating just as quickly.
And standing in its place was a young man.
He glanced around before his eyes settled on Coulson.
"Hey, Coulson. Glad to see you're still alive. Fury and I were just discussing how to handle your memorial service, and thanks to my suggestion, he agreed to a full honors burial—triple promotion included."
Coulson blinked, then let out a weary sigh. "Should I say thank you, Ethan? Maybe next time, you could wish me well instead of planning my funeral?"
Ethan shrugged. "Not my fault you've been walking around with a giant target on your back."
Obadiah, oblivious to their exchange, stomped toward Tony.
When he finally noticed the newcomer, he barely spared him a glance. "Where the hell did you come from? Get lost."
Feeling unstoppable in his armor, Obadiah swung a massive arm at Ethan, fully expecting to swat him away like an insect.
Tony's eyes widened. "Oh, great. Another idiot who doesn't know when to run."
Despite his injuries, Tony activated his thrusters, pushing his suit to its limits in an effort to save the newcomer from getting crushed.
And then—
BOOM!
Obadiah went flying.
His armored form skidded across the ground, tearing up pavement as he crashed into a building hundreds of meters away.
Tony, mid-flight, found himself clinging to Ethan like a lifeline.
He blinked. "What just—?"
"What are you doing?" Ethan shot him a deadpan look.
Tony stared. "How…?"
"I'm a mutant," Ethan said, shaking him off like an inconvenient backpack.
Tony exhaled. "Ah. That explains it."
As Ethan dusted himself off, Tony suddenly perked up.
"You know, for all the bad press mutants get, I think you guys are alright. Actually, now that I think about it—do you know Jean Grey?"
"She's my teacher," Ethan answered absentmindedly.
Tony's eyes lit up.
"Oh, fantastic! The redhead? Absolute angel. You know, when she patched me up, I was under local anesthesia, otherwise, I would've totally asked for her number. Think you could hook me up?"
Ethan gave him a long, unimpressed look. "She has a boyfriend."
Tony waved a dismissive hand. "Boyfriend? Not the best news, but not the worst either."
"Dude. Don't start trouble."
Before their conversation could spiral further, Obadiah emerged from the wreckage, seething.
His eyes darted between Tony and Ethan, his expression filled with rage and confusion.
"Alright, that's enough talking," Tony said, his mask snapping shut. "Let's wrap this up."
Obadiah, refusing to admit defeat, unleashed a hail of bullets.
But Ethan didn't even flinch.
Every shot that struck him simply ricocheted off.
Tony whistled. "Neat trick."
Obadiah snarled.
"Let's see how you handle this."
A missile launcher deployed from his back.
He fired.
There was an explosion—except it didn't hit Ethan.
The missile detonated right in front of Obadiah, sending him flying back again.
Ethan sighed. "This is getting annoying. Let's finish this."
"Agreed," Tony said, preparing to follow him inside.
But as Ethan reached the entrance, he suddenly stopped.
His expression shifted.
"Wait. There's a massive energy source in there. Is this some kind of power plant?"
Tony frowned. "What? No, that's the old Arc Reactor my dad built. It's outdated—way bigger than the one in my chest. Too expensive to mass-produce, so he turned it into an exhibit. Why?"
Ethan slowly turned to face him. "Because Obadiah just crashed into it."
A white-hot glow suddenly surged from within the building.
Then—
A blinding beam of light shot into the sky, engulfing Stark Industries in a storm of energy.
Thunder and lightning crackled across the New York skyline.
Ethan and Tony exchanged glances.
"Well… that's not good," Tony muttered.