[Stark Tower Plaza] [Press Conference]
The plaza was packed.
Cameras hovered in neat rows above the crowd. News drones floated like metal vultures waiting for something dramatic to happen. Reporters stood shoulder to shoulder behind the barricades, microphones raised, expressions sharp and hungry.
Tony stood at the center, one hand in his pocket, the other resting loosely against the podium that he absolutely did not need but appreciated for dramatic pacing.
Behind him, a massive screen displayed a simple symbol.
A stylized A.
The murmur in the crowd climbed higher.
Tony leaned toward the mic.
"Alright. Before anyone asks, no, this is not a new phone launch. I know, I'm disappointed too."
A ripple of laughter rolled through the press pit.
"The world has gotten louder," Tony continued. "Cults with lunatics who want immortality, aliens who can shapeshift, ancient lifeforms who caused years-long wars between humans and mutants, mad scientists with robots and so on. If you've been paying attention, you already know the pattern."
He gestured vaguely at the skyline.
"Problems are scaling up. So we scale up."
He turned slightly and gestured toward the side of the stage.
"Ladies and gentlemen, meet the generation of heroes... The Avengers."
The name landed heavily.
The side doors opened.
First out was Frank.
He was in his black tactical gear with his signature skull emblem on his chest. He walked with the steady pace of a man who did not care about applause and did not seek attention. The crowd leaned forward anyway. Cameras zoomed in. Tony have already erased his past. So, at this point, no one knows anything about him. And Frank took the Aeigs Serum V3.0, which has unlocked his mutation genes. He gained the power to control bones, like he can literally rip out bones from a human being or animals, or control them from a distance, plus he also gained super regeneration.
Tony nodded toward him.
"Frank Castle. Strategic operations. Leader of the Avengers."
Frank did not wave. He stood with his hands behind his back and scanned the area like he was already calculating exits.
Next came Lorna Dane.
Green hair caught the lights and shimmered faintly. She was wearing a green suit.
"Polaris," Tony said. "Magnetism on a scale that makes compasses cry."
Lorna gave the crowd a small wave with a smile.
The flash of cameras spiked again.
A blur streaked across the stage.
Pietro appeared in place as if he had always been standing there, silver hair tousled, grin sharp and impatient.
"You could have let me run out there," he muttered loud enough for nearby mics to pick up.
Tony smirked.
"Quicksilver. Superspeed... Think of him as a speed dial hero."
Pietro gave an exaggerated bow, then tapped his foot like the entire event was moving painfully slow.
A figure in a red and blue suit swung in from above, landing in a crouch that was clearly practiced and probably rehearsed in a mirror.
Spider-Man looked up, gave a thumbs up, then froze as the lights hit him.
"Are there always this many cameras?" he asked, voice slightly cracking through the mask.
Tony did not look at him.
"Yes."
"Cool cool cool," Peter replied, standing up and trying to look heroic.
"Spider-Man," Tony announced. "I doubt I need to introduce our friendly neighbourhood."
Everyone in the crowd clapped and yelled his name. He was really popular.
A flicker rippled near the edge of the stage.
Ava Starr phased into visibility, her outline glitching for half a second before stabilizing. The suit she wore shimmered faintly with controlled energy fields.
"Ghost," Tony said. "She walks through walls so you don't have to."
Ava's expression remained neutral, almost guarded, though her eyes scanned the audience with quiet awareness.
Finally, a woman stepped forward with twin pistols holstered at her hips.
Elsa Bloodstone tilted her head slightly as if daring someone to question her presence.
"Elsa Bloodstone," Tony said. "If it has fangs, claws, tentacles, or an unpronounceable name from a dead language, she's probably already shot it."
Elsa gave the press one of her signature smirks.
Tony stepped forward again, centering himself between them all.
"This isn't a replacement for governments," he said. "It isn't a power grab. It's a response to escalation."
He let that sink in.
"The world is big, and there is only so much the Ultimates, X-Force and X-Men can cover. That's where The Avengers comes in. And as usual, here's a warning to those who are plotting to destroy the peace we all have worked so hard to achieve..." Tony leaned in slightly with a serious expression. "...don't do anything stupid that you'd regret in the future. That's all."
[That Night]
The press cycle lasted six hours.
By the time the plaza cleared and the commentators finished recycling the same headlines, the city had shifted its attention to the next trending disaster. That suited Tony just fine.
Next was the Avengers HQ.
Blue light folded in on itself and unfolded again over a wide stretch of land.
The team stepped out of the teleport field onto smooth black stone that reflected the moon like polished glass.
Ahead of them was the structure.
The building looked like it had been pulled out of a future that had better funding than the present. Angled adamantium panels layered over each other like armor plating with an energy shield. Turrets and humanoid bots walked around the perimeter as a security measure.
Pietro let out a low whistle.
"Okay," he said, turning slowly in place. "This is not an abandoned warehouse with a coffee machine."
Lorna stepped forward, boots clicking against the stone. She felt the faint electromagnetic signature running through the walls and smiled. "You buried half of it underground," she said. "And the other half is wrapped in a magnetic lattice. That is either genius or deeply paranoid."
Tony stood with his hands in his pockets, looking pleased with himself.
"Both," he replied. "Mostly both."
Frank said nothing at first. His eyes tracked the perimeter, the tree line, the roof angles, the possible blind spots. After a few seconds, he gave a single nod.
"Defensible," he said.
That was high praise coming from him.
Peter tilted his head back to stare at the upper levels.
"Is that a landing platform up there or is that like… a satellite dish?"
"That's a jet pad for emergency if teleporters fail somehow," Tony answered. "And a deep space communication array."
Ava's gaze flicked across the structure. She phased one hand through the outer wall for half a second, then pulled it back with a thoughtful look. "Layered energy shielding," she murmured. "Adaptive frequency. It shifts if something tries to sync with it."
Tony pointed at her like a proud teacher.
"Exactly. You punch it, it learns. You try to hack it, it bites back."
Elsa adjusted one of her pistols and stared up at the building.
"It looks expensive," she said.
Tony grinned.
"It is expensive. You are welcome."
He flicked his fingers.
The main entrance irised open with a smooth mechanical sweep, revealing a wide corridor lit by soft white strips embedded into the floor and ceiling. The air inside felt cool and clean, with the faint scent of metal and new circuitry.
"Home sweet heavily armed home," Tony said.
They walked in.
The corridor expanded into a massive central atrium that rose several stories high. Transparent walkways crisscrossed above them. Training rooms lined one side behind reinforced glass. On the other side stood a wall-sized display currently showing global hotspots marked in subtle red and gold.
Peter spun slowly in place.
"Okay. This is cool. This is really cool. Are those Model 9 Holographic Interfaces or am I hallucinating from excitement?"
Panels shimmered into existence in front of him as if responding to his enthusiasm.
"Model 13, actually," Tony said. "Responsive to voice, gesture, neural pattern if you opt in. Friday AI runs the whole place."
A calm Irish voice drifted through the room.
"Welcome to the Avengers Facility. Please refrain from breaking anything important during your initial tour."
Pietro smirked.
"No promises."
Frank stepped toward the display wall, studying the marked regions.
"You are tracking everything," he said.
"Everything that tries to stand out," Tony replied. "Energy spikes, unusual movement, cult chatter, weapon signatures... If someone sneezes gamma radiation, we know."
Lorna walked to the edge of the atrium and looked down at a lower level where a training chamber shifted configurations automatically.
"This place is so cool," She said.
Peter walked over and looked down. "This is like a dream."
Ava moved toward a side hallway where a row of doors stood flush with the wall.
"Living quarters?" she asked.
Tony nodded.
"Private rooms. Soundproof and shielded. You can lock them down from inside if you need space."
Elsa glanced sideways at him.
"You planning for internal fights already?"
"No. I take privacy very seriously," Tony replied without missing a beat.
Peter leaned over the railing to look at a lower hangar level where a blue jet rested under white lighting.
"Please tell me that thing goes supersonic," he said.
"It goes beyond that," Tony answered. "But we will start you slow so you do not kill yourself."
"So," Pietro said, clapping his hands together. "Where is the gym and how much can it survive if I run through it at full speed?"
Lorna laughed softly.
Peter raised a hand.
"Also asking for a friend, do we get like matching jackets or something?"
Tony sighed as he pointed at the left room where their new official uniforms and badges were. Pietro and Peter ran toward the room with a large smile.
Elsa rolled her eyes.
"God help us," she muttered.
"Hey, Mr. Stark," Peter called from inside the room. "Uumm... Why is there a guy sleeping on the floor surrounded by pizza and a big hammer?"
...
//Spoilers. Upcoming chs names//Click to read.[1]
...[POWERSTONES AND REVIEWS]...
If you want to read early advance chapters, you can join>: www.patr eon.com/XcaliburXc
[I have > 14 advance chapters] [No double billing]
[1] Ch: 223 [Score: F-] Ch: 224 [The Protector of Stark’s Rectangle of Authority] Ch: 225 [Extremis: Test Subjects] Ch: 226 [ELENA: 3.0] Ch: 227 [Trip plans & a Titan] Ch: 228 [Thor vs Godzilla] Ch: 229 [OP isn't fun anymore] Ch: 230 [Next Stage of Human Evolution] Ch: 231 [A new life] Ch: 232 [A Father Returns] Ch: 233 [Mutate #9818]