"You're joking, right?" Fury asked, rubbing his temple. "How is that even possible?"
Gods were supposed to be immortal. Or at least, really, really hard to kill.
SHIELD had tech for vampires (UV grenades). They had tech for werewolves (Silver nitrate bullets). They even had tech for Inhumans (Sonic dampeners).
But Gods?
"If Thor can be killed by a carbon fiber arrow," Fury muttered, "then he's either not a God, or he's currently mortal."
"My arrows are good," Fury defended his agency's R&D. "High-tensile strength. Explosive tips. But they can't even scratch the Hulk. How do they puncture Asgardian skin?"
"It doesn't make sense," Tony agreed. "Unless..."
"Unless in that timeline, he was stripped of his powers. Completely. Like a human," Tony concluded.
"If that happens," Tony continued, his voice serious, "and Loki invades... what do we do?"
"We fight," Fury said simply. "That's what the Avengers are for. Conventional armies can't stop a God. But a team of freaks? Maybe."
Fury glanced at Tony. "And that's why I need you. Not just your money. Your brain. Your suit."
"Stop calling it a Boy Band," Fury added, finally clapping back. "It's a response team. For when the world ends."
Tony fell silent. For the first time, the weight of the name "Avengers" landed. It wasn't about prevention. It was about retribution.
We might not be able to save the Earth... but we can damn sure Avenge it.
"I get it," Tony nodded slowly. "I'm in."
"And not just as a consultant," Tony declared. "I'm funding it. Fully."
"I'll wire ten billion dollars to a shell account," Tony said, casually dropping a number that made Fury's remaining eye widen. "Consider it seed money."
"Ten billion?" Fury choked slightly. SHIELD's annual black budget was large, but ten billion liquid cash? That was game-changing.
"Since I switched to clean energy," Tony shrugged, "money is just a number. It's infinite. The Arc Reactor technology is printing cash faster than the Federal Reserve."
"If the world is ending," Tony said, his eyes gleaming with a newfound resolve, "I'm not going to die with a full bank account. I'm going to spend every cent to save it."
At that moment, Tony Stark ascended. He stopped being just a billionaire playboy. He started becoming the man who would one day snap his fingers to save the universe.
"I'll also send over a team of forensic accountants," Tony added, ruining the moment slightly. "To make sure you don't spend it all on eyepatches."
"Deal," Fury smirked. He could handle accountants if it meant upgrading the Helicarrier.
"About Loki," Tony said, looking back at the diary. "Lucas keeps calling him 'The Third Princess' (Drama Queen). Is Loki... a girl?"
"In mythology," Fury recalled, "Loki is a shapeshifter. He's been a woman. He's been a horse. He's been... everything."
"Maybe Lucas is just trolling," Fury suggested. "Like 'Egghead' for me. Or 'Hammer God' for Thor. 'Third Princess' implies... diva behavior."
"A diva villain," Tony chuckled. "Great. I can handle divas. I dated plenty."
"Anyway," Fury stood up, adjusting his coat. "I have to go. New Mexico is a powder keg. I need to make sure Barton keeps his arrows in his quiver."
"Wait," Tony called out. "Look at the diary. It changed."
A new window had popped up. A video player interface.
"What is this?" Fury frowned. "Since when do diaries have YouTube?"
"It's like Facebook or TikTok," Tony explained, feeling unexpectedly hip compared to the spy. "Video sharing. It's the future, grandpa."
Fury scowled. He wasn't that old. He just preferred classified briefings to cat videos.
"There's a title," Tony pointed.
[Hawkeye's Peak Life Moment]
"Hawkeye's Peak?" Fury read. "Is this the video Lucas mentioned? The one where he kills Thor?"
"Only one way to find out," Tony said, reaching out to tap the holographic play button.
"Let's see how a man kills a god."