NASA Headquarters, Houston, United States
Aaron Miller's footsteps echoed sharply through the long, white corridor. His breath came fast and shallow, his heart pounding in his chest as he sprinted past rows of closed doors and curious glances from passing staff.
"Move! Out of the way!" he shouted, pushing past a confused intern holding a tray of coffee.
He didn't stop. His hand, still trembling, clutched a small data pad displaying the frozen image from the rover feed — the impossibly large wall on Mars.
Reaching the end of the corridor, Aaron didn't hesitate. He grabbed the silver handle and burst into the meeting room, slamming the door open with a loud bang.
Inside, three figures snapped their heads toward him, their expressions twisting with irritation at the sudden interruption.
Sitting at the head of the oval table was Director Marcus Leland, a tall, lean man in his mid-fifties with silver-streaked black hair and sharp grey eyes. As NASA's Director of Planetary Operations, he oversaw all off-Earth missions, especially Mars expeditions. His reputation was strict but fair.
To his left sat Dr. Clarissa Zhou, NASA's Chief Astrophysicist. A woman in her early forties with neat black hair tied in a bun, rimless glasses, and a calm, analytical face. She specialized in planetary formation and Martian geology.
On the other side sat Colonel Richard Hayes, the head of NASA's Security Liaison. A broad-shouldered man with a square jaw, close-cropped blond hair, and a military bearing. His job was to coordinate with national security agencies and monitor for extraterrestrial threats or anomalies.
Director Leland narrowed his eyes sharply.
"Aaron, what in God's name do you think you're doing barging in here like this?"
Colonel Hayes rose halfway from his chair, his voice hard.
"You better have a damn good reason for interrupting a classified briefing."
But as their eyes fully landed on Aaron — sweat dripping down his forehead, chest rising and falling quickly, his face pale and his hand clutching the data pad tightly — their anger slowly shifted into cautious concern.
Director Leland's tone softened slightly.
"Speak, Miller. What's got you looking like you've seen a ghost?"
Aaron swallowed hard and took a breath. His voice wavered, but urgency carried every word.
"Sir, you… you need to see this. Just now — on feed 14 from Rover Delta — I caught something. Something impossible."
Dr. Zhou frowned.
"Impossible?"
Without another word, Aaron stepped forward and slid the data pad onto the table, turning the screen toward them.
The three leaders leaned in.
For a long moment, no one spoke. The dim feed showed exactly what Aaron had described — an enormous, smooth wall stretching endlessly under Mars' red sky. Its surface glinted faintly even through the low-resolution camera.
Colonel Hayes' jaw clenched visibly.
"This… this can't be real. We haven't had any active construction projects on Mars. Not even the Chinese or Europeans have tech that can do this…"
Dr. Zhou adjusted her glasses, her voice unusually tight.
"This wall is at least fifty meters high. Perfect angles… no sign of erosion or collapse. No natural formation could possibly create this."
Director Leland slowly leaned back in his chair, his face grim. His fingers tapped quietly against the wooden table.
"Aaron," he said finally, voice calm but serious.
"Lock this feed. Secure it under clearance level seven. No one else sees this until I say so. Understood?"
Aaron nodded quickly, relief washing over him.
"Yes, sir."
---
Stark Tower, Manhattan
Inside the sleek, glass-walled lounge of Stark Tower, Tony Stark sat comfortably on a deep leather couch, his legs crossed. A glass of red wine rested lightly between his fingers, the soft evening lights of Manhattan glowing behind him.
Beside him, Pepper Potts sat with her legs curled under her, a book resting on her lap. Her auburn hair fell gently over her shoulders as she smiled faintly at Tony's usual lazy posture.
Tony swirled the wine lazily, glancing sideways.
"You're reading about alien corporate law again? You need better hobbies, Pep."
Before Pepper could reply, a soft chime echoed from the ceiling.
"Sir," Jarvis' calm British voice floated smoothly through the room. "A rather peculiar situation has developed at NASA Headquarters approximately six minutes ago."
Tony let out a soft groan and tipped his head back dramatically.
"Oh, for God's sake, Jarvis… can't I have one quiet evening? Pass. Not interested."
But Pepper tilted her head, her brow furrowing slightly.
"Wait, Jarvis. What happened? Give us the details."
"Of course, Miss Potts." Jarvis replied smoothly. "A junior operator discovered a large artificial structure on Mars through an old rover feed. The feed has since been classified under their highest clearance. However, internal chatter and informant taps confirm that Director Leland and his top staff are taking it very seriously."
Pepper's book slid from her lap as she sat straighter, her eyes widening.
"An artificial structure? On Mars?"
Tony's glass stopped mid-sip. Slowly, he lowered it to the table. His usual smirk faded, replaced by a tight-lipped look of surprise.
They exchanged glances — both reading the same thought in the other's eyes.
Pepper spoke softly, her voice thoughtful.
"Tony… you don't think…?"
Tony closed his eyes briefly and let out a long, slow breath.
"Oh, I'm thinking it alright." His brow furrowed deeply as he rubbed his temple. "That idiot. That absolute lunatic. What the hell is he doing now?"
He slammed his glass onto the table and stood abruptly, pacing the room with frustration etched on his face.
Pepper smiled faintly, a knowing look in her eyes. She rose calmly and walked to him, placing a hand gently on his arm.
"Calm down. You know how John is. If anyone could pull off something like that, it's him. No one else could enchant structures like that, let alone on Mars."
Tony gritted his teeth but didn't pull away.
"I know, Pep. That's what makes me want to throw something through the window. Can't the man let me breathe for five minutes? I've got the damn government breathing down my neck because of the Sokovia Accords, and now he's playing city builder on Mars!"
---
Unknown Underground Facility
Far away, in a dimly lit underground room filled with flickering monitors and encrypted radio feeds, Nick Fury stood alone, his eye narrowing as he read the classified report on his tablet.
His jaw tightened.
"So… John's finally made his move," Fury muttered under his breath. He tapped the edge of the tablet thoughtfully, his dark coat shifting as he turned sharply and walked toward the command table.
For the last few months, Fury had been quietly supporting Captain America and his team in their covert resistance against the Sokovia Accords. They had gone underground, vanishing from public view. On the surface, Tony's team had pretended to search for Steve's group, fooling the government with carefully staged operations and false trails.
So far, it had worked perfectly.
But this… this new information from NASA was something else entirely.
Fury's lips pressed into a thin line.
"Dammit, John… what are you up to now?"
---
The World,
Despite the shocking discovery, NASA kept the feed tightly locked away. No press releases, no leaks. The public didn't hear a word.
And so, the world stayed quiet.
For the past two months, the only topic on everyone's lips had been the Sokovia Accords. Heated debates, political arguments, news cycles — everything revolved around whether enhanced individuals should be registered and monitored.
The media's spotlight hadn't moved an inch.
-----
As for Thor and Bruce Banner, both were currently in Asgard, far from Earth's troubles. Yet neither of them rested easy.
Thor walked back and forth in the golden halls of Asgard's palace, worry clear on his face. His heavy footsteps echoed around him, but he didn't care. His mind was full of one thing — Jane Foster. She had been taken over by the Reality Stone, and he didn't know how to save her. The thought made him feel helpless and lost.
He clenched his fists and let them go again and again. He was used to fighting enemies with his hammer, but this was different. Outside the tall windows, the sky of Asgard shone with gold and purple colors, but even that beauty didn't calm him.
Thor's chest felt tight. When he closed his eyes, he kept seeing Jane's face — pale and far away, her eyes glowing in a strange way. He had fought monsters and even gods, but now he couldn't do anything to help the woman he loved. It made him feel anxious and uneasy.
He had also been looking for John, hoping his friend might have an idea or some answers. But John was nowhere to be found. Thor had searched the sky fortress and even asked tony and the others, but no one had seen him. Even bruce, one of the brilliant mind on earth is helpless. The more time passed, the more alone Thor felt.
He wished someone could tell him what to do, but even the smartest people in Asgard had no answers. All he could do was walk back and forth — and wait for his father to come back.
---
Back on Mars, under the soft butterscotch sky, John stood silently in the center of Stardust City.
His expression was calm… but in his heart, he knew it wouldn't be long before the outside world started knocking on his door.