"I'll be ready." Tony promised. "But I need time to heal. To assess my current abilities. To prepare properly."
"How much time?"
"A few days. Maybe a week." Tony said. "I need to enter the Infinity Chamber. Run full diagnostics. Understand my current abilities completely. Build new armor. Upgrade systems."
"I need you ready in three days at most." Fury stood. "How possible is that?"
"Alright, I'll be ready in three days." Tony gave his word.
Fury had taken the position of Director again when things got out of hand with Peggy Assisting him.
The poor guy wanted a break but fatr wouldn't allow it.
Fury left. Tony lay back against the pillows. His mind was already working. Planning. Calculating.
'Three days. That's enough time. Inside the Infinity Chamber, with 100x time dilation, that's 300 days. Almost a year. Plenty of time to understand and do more. To build what I need. To prepare for possible confrontation with Thanos.'
Tony had an uneasy feeling that this world's difficulty level is much more than the MCU.
This was confirmed even more after his battle with Apocalypse.
Deep in his mind he dared not estimate which likely comic version this Thanos is.
But first, he needed to recover.
For now he needed a bit of natural rest.
Tony closed his eyes. Let his healing factor work. His species was efficient. Another twelve hours and he'd be ready.
'Just twelve more hours. Then I get to work. Then I prepare for the next threat.'
Iron Man. Earth's defender. Homo Supreme.
And soon to be father.
'Maybe I finally need a sidekick?'
The night passed slowly. Tony drifted in and out of sleep. His body healing. His mind planning. His heart worried.
Morning came. The sun rose over Cairo's ruins. Light painted everything gold and orange. A new day. A new beginning.
Tony's eyes opened. He felt better. Stronger. His left arm had fully regenerated during the night. His ribs were healed. His lung was functional. The Homo Supreme healing factor had done its job.
He sat up carefully. No pain. Just a slight ache. Manageable.
The tent entrance opened. Pepper walked in. She'd gotten some sleep. Her eyes were clearer now. Less frightened.
"You look better." She said.
"I am better. Fully healed. Ready to move." Tony swung his legs off the bed. "Where are my clothes?"
"M.A.R.V.E.L. has a fresh suit ready. In the storage container outside." Pepper pointed. "But Tony, you should rest more. At least another day?" She was concerned.
"Nah, I'm okay. I'm fine. Really." Tony stood. His legs held steady. Good.
He retrieved the suit. Simple black pants and shirt. Nothing fancy. Got dressed quickly.
When he emerged from the tent, the camp was busy. Heroes coordinating. Medical staff treating the injured. Engineers assessing damage.
...
Captain America saw him and approached. "You're up. How do you feel?"
"Good as new. Better actually. I'm settling in nicely." Tony looked around. "What's the current status?"
"We're organizing evacuation of remaining Cairo civilians. Setting up long-term recovery efforts. Coordinating with what's left of the Egyptian government." Steve sighed. "It's going to take years to fully rebuild."
"But it can be rebuilt. That's what matters." Tony said. "Listen, I would be away for a few days. I believe Fury already communicated this?"
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