While Coulson stepped aside to make his report, Tony headed down to the workshop and peeled himself out of the Iron Man armor. He glanced at Rowan Mercer as servos disengaged.
"So," Tony asked, "when do we move?"
"If possible," Rowan replied, "tomorrow."
Once you chose to strike first, hesitation only created problems.
Tony nodded. "Perfect. I'll use tonight to add a few upgrades."
Watching Logan fight earlier had sparked ideas. Retractable alloy claws mounted to the armor for close-quarters combat. Maybe a neural-disruption module too. Something that could stagger opponents who didn't care about bullets. Someone like Logan.
Nearby, Coulson finished his call and began his usual post-operation routine, checking his weapon and spare magazines.
Then he froze.
Every round was still there.
The backup magazines were untouched.
"That's… not right."
At the mansion, having fired no shots would make sense. But earlier, on the street, he clearly remembered taking down multiple attackers on his own. His instincts screamed that something about that fight didn't add up.
Coulson went back inside. Rowan was already gone.
He didn't ask questions. Not yet. If something was off, digging now would only tip someone off. Better to investigate quietly.
The next day, the X-jet hovered invisibly above Tony Stark's Malibu estate once more.
This time, Logan wasn't alone. Rowan had brought Caliban with him.
Rowan was certain that Dr. Sandell Reiss's base held newly cloned mutants. With Caliban aboard, they could at least know how many before the fighting started.
Tony flew up and slipped into the jet, armor retracting as he removed his helmet. He looked around, impressed.
"For something this old, this jet's incredible. Stealth systems, performance like this… someone on your team knew what they were doing."
"Beast," Logan said. A trace of nostalgia crossed his face. "Smartest guy I know."
Tony grinned. He respected power, sure, but technology built ahead of its time earned his genuine admiration. For a moment, he even considered adding stealth to the Iron Man suit, then immediately dismissed the idea.
Invisible heroics weren't his style.
Rowan introduced Caliban quickly and moved straight to strategy.
"I suspect Reiss may have cloned Magneto," Rowan said. "Until we know what we're facing, you two stay in support. If there's a copy with magnetism, you're both vulnerable. I'll engage first."
Tony didn't argue, but he didn't like being sidelined either.
"I thought about that," Tony said. "The armor's loaded with non-metallic specialty rounds. Long-range support if things get ugly. I've also got a plan."
He laid it out.
Rowan listened carefully. He adjusted a few points, filled in gaps where Tony lacked information, but didn't reject it. Rowan wasn't a tactician. Tony was.
If the plan worked, who got credit didn't matter.
Tony smiled, clearly pleased. "Glad you agree. One more thing though. Where exactly is their headquarters?"
Rowan spread his hands. "I don't know yet."
Tony stared. "You're kidding. We're launching an assault and you don't know where the target is?"
"Not yet," Rowan said calmly. "Give me a moment."
He sat in the co-pilot's seat and murmured a spell.
"Show me the way."
Golden particles formed in midair, assembling into a glowing arrow that pointed decisively forward.
Isis adjusted course at once, engines roaring as the X-jet accelerated.
Tony stared at the arrow. "Do all mutants have this many abilities?"
Logan snorted. "No. He's an exception. Only one other guy I know even comes close."
Far away, on the northwestern edge of the Yucatán Peninsula, a massive facility lay hidden beneath reinforced concrete and jungle cover.
A helicopter descended onto its rooftop.
Dr. Sandell Reiss stepped forward as a red-haired woman disembarked, her posture flawless, her smile measured and dangerous.
"Madame Natalie," Reiss said warmly, offering his hand. "You're even more stunning than the rumors suggested."
She returned his smile, calm and unreadable.
Natalie Vostokova.
Widow of Ockley Vostokov, one of Reiss's largest suppliers of raw genetic material. A man who had died in an accident just a month earlier.
Natalie had inherited everything.
They had been married less than a week.
And now, she stood at the gates of Reiss's empire.