The lab was quiet, save for the steady hum of machinery and the occasional clink of Fitz adjusting one of his gadgets. Jemma stood at her table, her neat handwriting covering half a page of notes, while Skye lazily spun in her chair, phone in hand, half-distracted.
The sliding doors hissed open.
John stepped inside. His presence wasn't loud, but it was heavy enough to make all three of them stop what they were doing.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Skye was the first to break the silence, turning in her chair with a smirk.
"Well, well, the mysterious guy finally shows up. So… are we gonna keep calling you John, or are you going to tell us who you really are?"
Fitz looked up too, his brow furrowed. "Yeah, Coulson acted like… like he actually works for you or something."
Jemma didn't say anything, but her gaze lingered—studying the way John carried himself, as though he was more puzzle than person.
John's face stayed calm, unreadable. Then he finally spoke.
"My name is John Stark."
The words hit like a hammer in the quiet lab.
Fitz blinked. "Wait… Stark? As in… that Stark?"
Jemma's lips parted. "You mean… Tony Stark?"
John gave a small, easy smile. "He's my brother."
The air seemed to freeze. Skye's chair squeaked as she stopped spinning mid-turn. Fitz's jaw opened, closed, then opened again like he was rebooting. Even Jemma—usually the calm one—looked visibly shaken, her wide eyes betraying the shock she didn't voice.
"You're kidding, right?" Skye finally blurted out, her laugh short and nervous. "No way. That's—no, come on."
John didn't flinch. "I don't joke about my family." His voice was steady, leaving no room for doubt.
The silence stretched. Skye fidgeted, spinning her chair half a turn and back again. Her fingers tapped against the desk like a restless drumbeat. "Well… wow. That's… uh, unexpected."
Her voice trailed off. And then, almost on instinct, her powers slipped.
The air vibrated with a sharp pulse. A wave of invisible force rippled outward, rattling a row of glass containers. One cracked with a sharp ping.
Skye froze. Her eyes widened. "Oh no, not again!"
But John was already watching her closely. His eyes shimmered gold as the Eye of Truth awakened.
And there it was.
Above Skye's head, a glowing rune appeared—jagged, raw, alive. It pulsed with the same unstable rhythm as her quakes, untamed and dangerous.
John's calm expression didn't falter, but inside, his heartbeat quickened. He knew the truth—Skye's ability wasn't just powerful. At its peak, it could wipe out a solar system. And with the right guidance, maybe even more.
He reached for his notebook, ready to sketch the symbol. But before his pen touched the page, the rune reacted.
It quivered, then in a flash of light, shot straight into him—piercing between his eyebrows.
Heat surged through John's chest. His body stiffened, but he stayed outwardly calm. Inside his spiritual sea, the rune dissolved into starlight and reshaped into a blazing star. It pulsed, joining a small constellation already forming within him.
John exhaled slowly. So her power has now become mine as well…
"Uh…" Skye shifted awkwardly. "You're still staring. You okay there, Stark 2.0?"
John blinked, his golden eyes fading back to normal. "Stark 2.0… that's new."
"Yeah, well, stop with the creepy staring and maybe I won't have to name you," Skye muttered, rubbing the back of her neck, still embarrassed.
Fitz, meanwhile, was rubbing his temple. "Tony Stark has a brother and Coulson just—what? Didn't mention it?!"
Jemma whispered, almost to herself, "Another Stark… but so different."
John didn't explain further. He'd already gained what he needed.
---
Later That Night
The lower deck was cold and dim, lit by the faint glow of containment fields. Inside one of them sat the Skrull prisoner, its yellow eyes narrowing as John approached.
"You again," it hissed.
John's gaze was steady. "Transform. Show me."
The Skrull sneered. "You want to see my true nature? Fine."
Its body rippled, bones shifting, skin twisting. In seconds, John found himself staring at his own face—his own stance, his own voice mocking him.
"Better?" the Skrull asked darkly.
John's golden eyes flared. And there it was again—above the Skrull's head, a glowing rune, ever-changing, never still. The Transformation Rune.
He focused, reaching to etch it into his memory—but like Skye's, it moved first. The rune trembled, then shot into him, piercing his eyebrows.
Inside his spiritual sea, a second star was born. It shimmered endlessly, shifting like liquid light, pulsing alongside Skye's volatile rune.
John stood motionless, feeling the new power settle. His skin flickered faintly, as though ready to shift into someone else.
The Skrull leaned forward, suspicious. "What did you just do?"
John's eyes dimmed, his voice calm. "Nothing you'd understand."
He turned, leaving the alien in silence as the heavy doors sealed shut behind him.
---
In His Quarters
John sat cross-legged, eyes closed.
Inside his spiritual sea, two new stars burned bright. Skye's Quake Rune, unstable and fierce, sparked like a storm barely contained. The Transformation Rune flowed endlessly, fluid and adaptable.
He raised his hand. For an instant, his skin shimmered, warping into another form, before settling back again. The sensation was strange, but thrilling.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.