[7 PM] [Stark Tower] [Tony's office]
Tony sat in his chair. A holographic interface was floating before him, and he was holding a glass of Fanta. A moment ago, he opened a 2lt bottle. He took a sip. 'Oh, yeah. Nothing beats a good ol' Fanta.'
There was a knock on the door.
"Yeah, come in," Tony said, putting the tab down.
The door opened...
Pepper guided the two monks inside.
They were wearing simple robes, calm eyes and both carried themselves like men who had seen too much and chosen discipline over rage.
Pepper gave Tony a look that said behave and left, closing the door softly behind her.
Tony gestured at the chairs across from his desk. "Alright, gentlemen. Take a seat. So, you want the skeleton?"
The monks exchanged a glance before sitting.
The older one spoke first.
"We come on behalf of K'un-Lun. The dragon skeleton discovered after the fall of The Hand belongs to us."
Tony took a sip. "That big glowing skeleton Emma and Frank dug up after wrecking ninja headquarters? Yeah. Hard to miss."
The younger monk inclined his head. "Years ago, The Hand invaded K'un-Lun. They slaughtered many of our brothers. They stole the remains of Shou-Lao as part of a ritual they believed would grant them power over life and death."
Tony's expression shifted just a fraction. The humor dialed down.
"And that pushed you into hiding," he said.
"Yes," the older monk replied. "We were forced to retreat. We sealed our gates and cut ourselves off from this world. We have waited for the day the dragon's remains could be returned."
He bowed his head slightly. "You have our gratitude for destroying The Hand."
Tony waved that off with a small flick of his fingers. "You should thank Emma and Frank. They're the ones who went full wrecking crew on those psychos. I just cleaned up paperwork and made sure no one nuked Manhattan in the process."
The younger monk allowed himself the faintest smile. "Then we will offer them our thanks when the opportunity arises."
Tony set his glass down and leaned back. "As for the skeleton, sure. It's yours. Honestly, I'd rather it not sit in one of my storage facilities glowing ominously at three in the morning. Bad feng shui."
Relief flickered across both monks' faces.
"So, how about I teleport the skeleton to K'un-Lun? That thing is massive," Tony said.
"There is one complication," the older monk said.
Tony raised an eyebrow. "There's always one."
"K'un-Lun is surrounded by a mystical barrier. It is sealed from this realm except during specific celestial alignments. Conventional travel is impossible. Even your teleportation technology won't be able to pierce through the barrier. So, if you don't mind, we'd like to arrange our own transportation."
Tony blinked once.
Then he smirked.
"That won't be a problem."
He lifted one hand and flicked his finger casually.
Space folded.
A circular blue portal snapped open behind the monks with a low hum, its edges shimmering with layered geometric light. Through it, mountain peaks rose into a sky painted gold and violet. Ancient architecture clung to cliffs. Prayer flags moved in a wind that did not exist in this world.
The monks stiffened and slowly turned in their chairs.
Tony crossed his arms. "Mystical barrier. It's kinda adorable. I respect the aesthetic. But space is space. You wrap it in magic, bend it sideways, hang it upside down. It still folds."
The younger monk stood first, awe slipping through his composure. "You pierced the veil."
"Yeah," Tony replied. "I do that sometimes."
The older monk stood up. His gaze lingered on Tony with something deeper now. It felt like he was evaluating Tony, showing a measure of respect, and maybe just a touch of caution. The younger one stood up next. He looked surprised to see Tony's power.
"You wield power that rivals the ancient guardians," he said quietly.
Tony shrugged. "I upgraded the universe's firmware. Turns out the firewall wasn't that impressive."
He jerked a thumb toward the portal. "I'll have the skeleton transferred through the portal directly into your courtyard."
The monks turned back to him and bowed fully this time.
"You have returned more than bones," the older monk said. "You have restored honor."
Tony scratched lightly at his jaw. "Yeah, let's not get poetic about it. I just hate unfinished business."
The younger monk paused before stepping through. "K'un-Lun does not forget its allies."
Tony gave a small nod. "Good. Because the universe keeps getting louder. I might call in that favor one day."
The older monk studied him one last time. "When that day comes, we will answer."
Tony smiled faintly. "Glad to hear it."
They stepped through the portal.
The blue circle shimmered for a second longer, then collapsed into nothing.
Silence returned to the office.
Tony stood there, staring at the empty space where the portal had been.
He exhaled slowly.
"Alright," he muttered to himself. "One dragon skeleton returned. Zero mystical incidents. That's a win. Now, time to deal with our prisoner."
Tony flicked his finger.
Space folded quietly around him.
His office dissolved into a shimmer of blue light and reassembled in the lower levels of Stark Tower. The air down here was cooler. Reinforced walls layered with adamantium mesh and enough dampening tech to keep telepaths bored and gamma freaks sleepy.
Containment wing.
Soft white lights hummed overhead.
He walked down the corridor, hands in his pockets.
The cells were filled with rogue mutants and superhumans. These bastards are way beyond saving, so instead of killing them, Tony decided to put them in the cells with Emma, inducing endless nightmares.
In short, endless torture.
The last one on the right held Elektra Natchios.
The red energy field around her cell pulsed faintly.
Inside, Elektra sat on the edge of the bed, back straight, hands resting loosely on her thighs. She looked up the moment he appeared at the end of the corridor.
Tony stopped at the console beside the door and keyed in a code. The red energy shimmered, then faded with a low hum. The door slid open.
He stepped inside and let it close behind him.
Elektra's eyes tracked every movement.
Tony leaned against the wall near the door, arms folding loosely across his chest.
"So," he said. "Comfy?"
She tilted her head slightly. "For a prison."
Tony looked around the room. He saw clean sheets, a private bathroom, a small bookshelf with a few books, and basic comforts. No weapons were in sight, of course.
"I try to keep the Yelp reviews reasonable," he replied. "Three stars minimum."
She watched him in silence for a few seconds.
"You didn't come down here to ask about the mattress."
"Nope."
He studied her closely. She didn't seem scared, wasn't fidgeting, and her heartbeat was steady. It looked like she had either accepted her situation or was waiting for something to happen.
"Emma mentioned you've been cooperative," Tony went on. "Meditating, eating, and not trying to stab the walls."
"The walls have no pulse," Elektra said.
Tony smirked faintly. "That's the spirit."
Silence settled between them, heavier now.
"You were part of The Hand, weren't you?" he asked after a while. "High up in the organization. Really deep into their operations."
Her gaze did not waver. "Yes."
"And now The Hand is gone. The dragon bones are in K'un-Lun."
Her eyes flickered for just a second at that, a small, controlled reaction.
"You returned Shou-Lao," she said quietly.
"Yeah. Figured it was time."
She looked down at her hands for a moment, then back at him.
"You move very quickly for someone who claims not to be a god. I expected you to start a war with K'un-Lun, destroy them and then dig through those bones for whatever secret of immortality they hide."
Tony's mouth twitched.
"Why would I?" he said calmly. "If I wanted immortality, I wouldn't need to rob a monastery for spare parts. And starting a war over a fossil is messy, loud, and a complete waste of time."
He tilted his head slightly.
"I don't break things just to see what falls out."
Another quiet stretch.
"You going to kill me?" she asked.
Tony shook his head once. "If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't be sitting on that bed."
"Then what do you want?"
He pushed off the wall and walked a few steps closer, stopping well outside her reach.
"I want to know who you are without them," he said.
Her jaw tightened slightly.
"They gave me purpose."
"They gave you programming," Tony corrected. "Big difference. Besides, you never believed in them. All you ever wanted was freedom."
She stood slowly from the bed and walked closer to Tony. She stopped. Their bodies were just a few inches apart.
"And you want to give me my freedom?" she asked, looking into his eyes.
Tony met her eyes evenly.
"A choice."
The word lingered in the room.
"You're one of the best fighters on the planet," he continued. "And you survived Emma Frost and Frank Castle. That alone earns a medal."
A faint spark of dry amusement touched her face.
"You can sit down here and replay old ghosts," he went on. "Or you can walk out of this cell under supervision and start earning your freedom."
"You would trust me?" she asked.
"Trust is a strong word," Tony replied. "Let's call it a monitored opportunity."
Her eyes searched his face for mockery. She did not find it.
"You believe people can change," she said.
"I believe people can decide," he answered. "Big difference."
"You're afraid of something," Elektra said suddenly.
Tony's eyebrow lifted. "Am I?"
"Yes. Not of me. Of what comes next."
He held her gaze.
"The universe keeps escalating," she continued. "Cults, gods, monsters, aliens... You are building walls faster than anyone else. That means you expect something worse."
Tony exhaled.
"Good talk," he said. "You want out of this room or not?"
She studied him for a long moment.
"Yes," she said at last.
//
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