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(A dangerous mutant incident broke out at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, drawing attention from both heroes and authorities.
The situation was eventually contained, preventing further chaos. With tensions still high, the aftermath left lingering questions about mutant safety and control.)
With the incident at Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters wrapped up, most of the Avengers had also completed their respective missions.
Nick Fury took the opportunity to call them all back.
Bruce Banner, Black Widow, Hawkeye, Captain America, Tony Stark, and the man Ron had arranged to stay by Tony's side—John Wick.
The mutants weren't present. Fury didn't trust them.
When it came to discussing serious matters, only the core members were involved. The mutants could be brought in when it was time for action.
It wasn't like he hadn't considered letting the mutants join the Avengers, but they weren't exactly eager to sign up.
Hearing Fury's briefing, Hawkeye frowned.
"Colonel Stryker? Military personnel? Are we even supposed to get involved in this?"
Cap, ever the righteous one, immediately spoke up. "We have to stop him!"
"If the intel is correct, he's already captured Professor Xavier!"
"If the Cerebro amplifier falls into his hands, the damage he could cause would far exceed that of a nuclear bomb!"
For Cap, this wasn't about national borders or politics.
The movies might paint him as a patriotic hero, but this was real life. S.H.I.E.L.D. wasn't tied to any one country—it was meant to protect the whole world.
To him, mutants were just people like anyone else. As long as they weren't committing crimes, they shouldn't be persecuted.
Forget some American colonel—even if it were the president himself, if he planned to slaughter countless innocent lives, Steve would stop him without hesitation.
Even if it meant taking him down permanently.
That unwavering belief in justice was what made Cap the heart of the team.
It was also why Stark, with all his arrogance, and Banner, with all his rage, respected him.
Tony nodded. "Good thing we already secured the Cerebro amplifier."
"But to prevent Stryker from building another one, I say we take action sooner rather than later."
After seeing the X-Men's jet, which could take off and land vertically, and the mutant tech capable of amplifying psychic abilities across the entire planet, Tony had a newfound appreciation for the hidden science of this world.
Not to mention the constant beatdowns he received from Ron at home.
The guy kept saying he wasn't as smart as Banner, which had gotten under his skin.
Now, more than ever, he wanted to wrap up this mission quickly and take a trip to Wakanda.
He was determined to build a new suit—one made from a fusion of vibranium and adamantium.
A masterpiece that would prove, once and for all, that Tony Stark was the smartest man on Earth. No exceptions.
A mere mortal who could stand shoulder to shoulder with gods—or better yet, surpass them!
When that suit was finished, he was going to pin Thor and Hulk down and give them a proper beatdown—just to show Ron who was really the strongest.
Banner, meanwhile, remained silent. He wasn't interested in any of this.
After all, when it came to fighting, it was the Hulk who did the work, not him. And since he had no control over the Hulk, he could only watch from the sidelines.
What he really wanted was peace and quiet—time to focus on his research, time to figure out how to control the other guy.
But when Tony mentioned acting quickly, Banner could've sworn he caught a sly glance from him.
Something about it felt… off.
Still, he figured Tony wouldn't try to pull anything. After all, Hulk had saved his life during the Battle of New York. Maybe Stark just needed his help with something.
At that moment, Fury casually glanced at John Wick before turning to Tony. "We can't rush this."
"Stark, did you know Ron can manufacture super soldier serum?"
"What!?"
"Director, are you serious?!"
Fury's words sent shockwaves through the room.
Everyone instinctively turned to look at Cap, their expressions unreadable.
Aside from Fury, Tony, and John Wick, no one else knew the details about the Lizard incident.
All they knew was that another superpowered event had hit New York not too long ago—but it had been handled.
By Tony's idiot younger brother, of all people.
Then there was the attack on Malibu, which had also been resolved by Ron.
They had been pleasantly surprised, thinking they might be gaining a new ally.
But now that they were back, Ron was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was this new guy—John Wick.
No one questioned it, though. If he was here, it meant he was one of them.
But now, hearing that Ron could actually create super soldier serum?
That was a whole different level of shock.
After all, among the Avengers, Natasha and Hawkeye were still just regular humans.
Sure, they were at the absolute peak of human capability.
But if they had a chance to become something more, how could they not be tempted?
Both of them stared intently at Fury, saying nothing—but the message in their eyes was loud and clear.
Nick Fury didn't explain anything. He just kept looking at Tony Stark.
Tony thought for a moment before nodding.
"Yeah, but it's not the Super Soldier Serum. It's more like some kind of animal-based serum."
He glanced at John Wick and continued, "You've seen what the serum can do."
"I don't need to spell out the details for you. You already know. As for whether it would work on others, I have no idea."
Tony's words didn't shake Nick Fury's determination in the slightest.
He already knew the answer.
Grant Ward was a living example.
Without hesitation, Fury asked, "Stark, where is Ron right now? Can we get some of the serum from him?"
Tony shook his head. "I have no idea where Ron is. He disappears for days at a time, and there's no telling when he'll be back."
Hearing this, disappointment flickered in the eyes of everyone present. But only for a moment—after all, they still had hope for when Ron eventually returned.
Just then, Tony's expression suddenly changed.
He raised his hand and pressed a button on his glasses. The next second, a holographic projection appeared.
Everyone froze for a moment. But as soon as they saw what was on the display, their faces lit up with excitement.
"Ron Stark!"
A rare glimmer of relief flashed through Fury's eyes. Talk about perfect timing—they had just been discussing Ron, and here he was. Couldn't have worked out better!
However, his excitement didn't last long.
Before he could even react, Ron's voice came through the projection, and what he said sent a chill down Fury's spine.
"Tony, I have something important to tell you."
Ron's voice was calm, but the words hit like a bomb.
"Howard and Maria didn't die in a car accident. They were assassinated."
"And I've already identified the killer."
Tony's pupils shrank in shock.
"What did you just say?!!!"
"....."