If Victor Stone's story was genuine, his actions might actually make sense. A young man, freshly endowed with extraordinary abilities, could easily find it difficult to stop himself once he began exploring them. And to Victor, the Avengers were Earth's most renowned, mysterious heroes—a natural curiosity for anyone, even more so when he had the means to peer into their world. This intense desire to continue, despite knowing he was detected, also spoke to the confidence he had in his newfound powers. He believed, as his father had told him, that he was the absolute ruler of the digital realm, and theoretically, his location should have remained hidden.
In reality, though Jarvis couldn't pinpoint Victor's exact location on his own, Reed Richards' assistance slowed Victor's infiltration enough to give Tony Stark the opportunity to trace the true signal source.
"Curiosity alone doesn't justify hacking the Infinity Stones database…" Reed Richards shook his head, unconvinced even after hearing Victor's story. As the one assisting Jarvis with defense, he knew exactly which data Victor had been trying to access.
"Wait—you already knew about the Infinity Stones?" Tony Stark followed up on Reed's suspicion.
"No, I didn't. I was simply drawn to the mystery surrounding the Stones," Victor explained. "After learning that Jarvis classified them as ultimate power, I grew curious, especially because the Mother Box, the device that saved and transformed me, also possesses qualities akin to ultimate power. I wanted to see if there was any connection…"
"Mother Box?" Tony raised an eyebrow. "Sounds impressive. What exactly is it capable of? Does it just turn people into cyborgs?"
"I'm not entirely sure. I know my father and his colleagues discovered it buried underground. It contains massive amounts of energy and technological knowledge—even the capability to alter the molecular structure of matter to some degree!" Victor explained, a serious look crossing his face.
"When I was modified, I gained memories—fragments, really—of the Mother Box's origin. I only know it's from a planet called Apokolips, and it's tied to immense energy and secrets."
"So now Earth's got Apokolips on its radar?" Tony sighed. "We already had enough trouble with the Skrulls. I thought after dealing with them, Earth might get some peace, but it looks like another problem has found us."
"So, this Mother Box is some kind of tech that might even transmit coordinates?" Tony looked thoughtfully at Robert. "Say, you were in space recently. Do you know anything about Apokolips? Sounds like their technology is quite advanced—surely they're not unknown on the galactic stage?"
"No, I haven't heard of it. My recent encounters weren't extensive. I know the Nova Empire, which is a peace-focused society, and Knowhere—a lawless outpost, hardly a civilization…" Robert replied, shaking his head.
"As for Sakaar, it's a dystopian dictatorship. Aside from them, the only prominent forces I'm aware of are the three major interstellar empires, but they're not what they once were."
"The Skrull Empire is in hiding after the Kree destroyed them, with some protection—and betrayal—from Captain Marvel. Meanwhile, the Kree Empire was entirely obliterated by me and the Extinguishers. Only the Shi'ar Empire remains, though I doubt their homeworld is Apokolips."
"Alright, so we're still clueless about Apokolips. But whatever the case, you can't leave the Avengers base for now," Tony stated firmly, directing his gaze at Victor.
"Moreover, you're restricted from using your abilities freely. We'll need to back up and test your capabilities. Any issues with that?"
If Victor were a regular ally of the Avengers, even a fringe character like Doctor Octopus pursuing personal research, Tony wouldn't be so cautious. But given Victor's considerable potential as a digital threat—and the fact that he had been captured committing a crime—Tony felt justified in his caution.
Victor, sensing Tony's resolve, nodded hesitantly. "I can give you the location of the Red Room Lab, but please, don't harm my father!"
"As long as he doesn't interfere, we won't harm him. Your father's an ordinary scientist, unless he's also been modified by the Mother Box," Tony replied calmly.
"He's just a regular man, though I doubt he'll easily give up his Mother Box research. He's been studying it for years now. But if possible, I'd like for him to have a chance to continue his work…" Victor implored.
"Are you suggesting we bring him here too?" Tony asked, surprised.
"Yes! The Mother Box belongs in the Avengers' care—it's too dangerous for regular people. If it accidentally opened a portal and let in invaders, my father's life would be at risk!" Victor said earnestly.
"But here, in the Avengers base, it would be safe. You have far more secrets here than in that lab, not to mention the power to handle anything the Mother Box might throw at you. My father's research on the Mother Box has already made significant strides; he won't disappoint you…"
"I thought you didn't get along with your father?" Pietro quipped, raising an eyebrow. "For someone with a bad relationship, you sure know a lot about him…"
Victor paused, caught off guard. Before his capture, he hadn't really understood Silas Stone, but the thought of his father in danger made survival take precedence over personal issues. Silas's research into the Mother Box aligned closely with the Avengers' mission, differing only in the question of control.
But in the face of potential life-or-death consequences, the matter of control seemed trivial—survival was what mattered most.
"Alright, give us the coordinates. We'll go clear out the Red Room Lab. Jarvis, dispatch the robots to assist," Tony nodded, granting Victor's request.
Victor breathed a sigh of relief, sharing the lab's location. As the portal reopened, he watched in awe, marveling at the Avengers' technology.
Free teleportation across space…this seemed on par with the tech of Apokolips. Little did he know, what he perceived as high-level technology was actually Guardian's magical abilities—a power, not tech!
"He's a Stone too. Do you think there's any chance of a family connection?" Pietro whispered to Johnny Stone as they entered the lab.
"No way! My family's pure white—no Black heritage," Johnny muttered, glancing discreetly in the direction of Blade and Blue Marvel.
"Really? Not a drop?" Pietro nearly pressed the point but stopped, noticing Blue Marvel turning his way, and covered his mouth to keep from speaking further.
"Wow, there's a lot here. So, this is the Mother Box?" Robert examined the box placed at the center of the lab, a cube slightly larger than the Space Stone, while the other Avengers looked on, refraining from touching it.
Aware of its dangers, Tony didn't even want the robots touching it, fearing potential mishaps. Robert, the strongest among them, seemed the most suited for the task.
Carefully assessing the Mother Box, Robert picked it up, finding it unexpectedly docile, like an innocent art piece.
"Warning! Warning! Warning!" Suddenly, alarms blared throughout the Red Room Lab. Though Jarvis had disabled the lab's systems, the alarm triggered as soon as the Mother Box was removed from its pedestal.
"Let's go; we've got everything we need," Tony waved, glancing around the emptied lab. "Jarvis, note the lab's setup. We'll replicate it back at the base…"
"No need. Someone's coming. It must be Silas." Robert pointed toward the entrance.
"Stop! Who are you people?! Damn thieves! How dare you loot the place so thoroughly… Wait—Iron Man?! The Avengers?!" Silas Stone stormed in, seeing the stripped-down lab and a handful of people standing around. He began to curse angrily but stopped short upon recognizing Tony Stark.
"Hello, Dr. Silas Stone," Tony greeted him with a smile.
"This is unacceptable! Even if you're Iron Man, you can't just take the Mother Box! It's our research property, not the Avengers'. This is theft of our lab's assets and findings—I could sue you!" Silas protested, taking a deep breath and glaring at Tony.
"Oh? I'd love to see you try. We'll see you in court, then. The Avengers' legal team could use the practice—they've been on paid leave so long I'm jealous!" Tony replied with exaggerated sarcasm.
"But before you file that suit, the Avengers have to prosecute someone who hacked into our database. Don't worry, we're not prosecuting ordinary people. This is a modified cybernetic lifeform. Would you care to observe our process?"
"Victor!" Silas's eyes widened as he heard about the database hack. The name brought to mind his son, whom he never imagined would accept his abilities so quickly, let alone break into the Avengers' systems.
"Yes, that's him. Would you like to join us?" Tony gestured toward the portal, inviting Silas as he watched his demeanor shift from defiant to defeated.
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