How is this possible?
Tony stared in disbelief at the crumpled remains of his visor, his mind struggling to process what had just occurred. The Mark II's faceplate had been designed to withstand armor-piercing rounds and explosive impacts—yet Richard had torn it apart like tissue paper with his bare hands.
Without the protective visor, Richard could see Tony's shocked expression clearly, the inventor's face pale with the sudden realization that he had drastically underestimated his opponent's capabilities.
While Tony retained control of the suit's other systems, the loss of his targeting display effectively blinded him in terms of weapons lock-on. However, this limitation proved irrelevant, as Richard had no intention of allowing the fight to continue.
After casually discarding the destroyed visor, Richard reached for Tony's gauntleted hands. With the same effortless strength he had demonstrated moments before, he crushed the repulsor arrays in both palms, the sophisticated technology crumpling like aluminum cans under minimal pressure.
It's over.
The destruction of his primary propulsion and weapon systems left Tony completely helpless. Without the palm-mounted repulsors to provide stability and directional control, he couldn't even maintain steady flight, let alone mount any kind of offensive.
The remaining boot jets, even with Jarvis compensating through the suit's aerodynamic surfaces, were insufficient to keep him airborne for long. The Mark II began losing altitude almost immediately.
Richard didn't allow Tony to plummet into the Pacific Ocean. Instead, he activated his teleportation ability and transported both of them back to the workshop in Tony's cliff-side mansion.
"Do you still think offering you a one-minute time limit was an insult?" Richard asked mildly as they materialized in the familiar surroundings.
Despite his bruised ego, Tony was experienced enough to recognize when he had been thoroughly outclassed. If Richard had wanted to humiliate him further, he could have waited until the armor crashed into the ocean before intervening.
"You won," Tony admitted with obvious reluctance. "I underestimated you completely."
He moved to the center of the workshop and began the process of armor removal, Jarvis's mechanical arms efficiently disassembling the Mark II piece by piece.
"Continue upgrading the Iron Man suit," Richard advised as the last components were stored away. "The current design isn't excellent yet."
"I'll keep optimizing the technology," Tony replied, his voice carrying renewed determination. "One day, I'm going to create an Iron Man suit that can defeat you!"
Richard smiled at the inventor's stubborn refusal to accept defeat. "Really? Then keep working hard."
The confidence in Tony's declaration reminded Richard of similar promises made by his home universe's version of Stark. That Tony had been working on "anti-Richard armor" for some time, even incorporating scales from Tariff the dragon as construction materials. Yet despite access to such exotic resources, no armor design had proven capable of matching Richard's full capabilities.
After exchanging a few more casual remarks with Tony, Richard teleported back to his hotel suite. While he possessed detailed knowledge of the Iron Man armor's future development path, he had no intention of sharing this information prematurely.
There were two primary reasons for this decision. First, it simply wasn't necessary—Tony was brilliant enough to solve the engineering challenges on his own given sufficient time and motivation. Second, Richard was genuinely curious to see whether this universe's version of Tony might develop innovations that differed from the canonical timeline.
Upon returning to the presidential suite, Richard found Pietro and Wanda relaxing in the living room and asked them to join him in the study.
"Do you remember when I told you that you would eventually awaken superhuman abilities?" he began once they were seated.
"Of course we remember," Pietro replied eagerly.
"Good. I'm going to conduct some experiments on both of you to trigger the activation of your powers." Richard's expression grew serious. "I should warn you in advance—the process may be somewhat painful."
While Richard didn't know the exact details of Baron Strucker's superhuman experiments in the original timeline, he was certain of one crucial fact: the Hydra scientist had used the Mind Stone as a catalyst for the transformation process.
Richard possessed his own Mind Stone—technically from the zombie universe, but functionally identical to this reality's version of the gem.
"As long as you don't kill us or leave us permanently disabled," Pietro said with characteristic directness, "we can handle some pain. There's always a price for gaining power."
Ever since learning about his potential for superhuman abilities, Pietro had been fantasizing about what powers he might develop and when he would join the ranks of enhanced individuals like Richard.
"Just prepare yourselves mentally," Richard instructed. "I'll notify you both once I've finished preparing the necessary equipment and procedures."
"Understood," both twins replied, then left the study to return to their afternoon activities.
Once alone, Richard retrieved a laptop computer and a vibranium-enhanced USB drive from his system storage. The drive contained a backup copy of Tifa's artificial intelligence, specifically programmed to assist with advanced research projects.
After connecting the drive to the laptop, the AI immediately transferred itself to the new system.
"Sir, good afternoon," Tifa's synthesized voice greeted him through the computer's speakers.
"I'm planning to use Infinity Stone energy to activate superhuman abilities in two human subjects," Richard explained. "The computer's databanks contain extensive research on Infinity Stone properties left by your primary instance. I need you to formulate a preliminary enhancement protocol based on normal adult human physiology."
"Understood, sir. I'll begin analysis immediately."
Richard closed the laptop, removed the USB drive, and stored both items back in his system space. With the AI working on the technical aspects of the experiment, he could focus on strategic planning.
His thoughts turned first to Tony Stark. While the inventor had successfully created the Mark II armor, this universe's timeline had already diverged significantly from the original. Most notably, Tony would probably never face the "Iron Monger" threat posed by Obadiah Stane.
In the canonical timeline, Stane had become the Iron Monger primarily because the Ten Rings' leader Raza had recovered the Mark I's wreckage and provided it to him along with the armor's design schematics. However, in this reality, Richard had eliminated Raza and his entire organization before Tony could build the Mark I.
Unless Obadiah suddenly developed Tony-level engineering genius, he would have no way to construct his own powered armor. This meant he probably wouldn't die according to the original plot—but it also meant he might devise entirely different methods for dealing with his business partner.
After some consideration, Richard decided to leave Obadiah alone for now. He was curious to see what alternative schemes the man might develop without access to Iron Man technology.
Next, he considered Wanda and Pietro's situation. If everything proceeded according to plan, both twins should successfully awaken their abilities. However, superhuman transformation experiments always carried inherent risks, particularly when using Infinity Stone energy as a catalyst.
For safety reasons, Richard decided to stick with the Mind Stone approach that had worked in the original timeline. While experimenting with other Infinity Stones might yield interesting results, this wasn't the time for unnecessary risks.
Finally, his thoughts turned to S.H.I.E.L.D. and the future Avengers. Richard had never held a particularly high opinion of the intelligence organization, given their history of poor decision-making and Hydra infiltration.
As for the Avengers themselves, he remained neutral about most of the first-generation team members, with Captain America being the notable exception due to the mental conditioning Richard had already performed.
He had now met both Steve Rogers and Tony Stark in this universe. The remaining first-generation members—Black Widow, Hawkeye, Bruce Banner, and Thor—would be relatively easy to locate when the time came.
Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton were both active S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, making them accessible through the organization's personnel files. Thor could be reached by simply opening a dimensional gateway to Asgard using the Space Stone.
Bruce Banner represented the only real challenge, as the man was currently in hiding somewhere on Earth. In the original timeline, he had been living in Porto Alegre, Brazil, but this universe's Banner might have chosen a completely different refuge.
The only certainty was that Banner definitely wasn't in the United States at the moment—his fugitive status and the military's ongoing pursuit would have made that impossible.
After weighing his options, Richard decided to prioritize helping Pietro and Wanda awaken their abilities. Other objectives could wait until this crucial phase was complete.
One Month Later
Time had flowed by with surprising swiftness, bringing Richard to the end of another relatively peaceful period. His daily routine had changed significantly during this month—instead of his usual leisure activities, he had thrown himself into scientific research with the dedication of a professional laboratory director.
Using Tony's extensive business connections, Richard had purchased sophisticated experimental equipment and established a temporary laboratory facility in the Los Angeles suburbs. While he wasn't a trained scientist in the conventional sense, his extensive experience with superhuman transformation gave him confidence in his ability to conduct the enhancement procedures safely.
The key difference between this project and his previous work was the power source. Instead of relying on Compound V from the Boys universe or magical energies, he would be using pure Infinity Stone energy as the catalyst for transformation.
During the laboratory setup process, Richard had collected blood samples from both twins for comprehensive analysis. The results had allowed Tifa's AI clone to refine and verify the experimental protocols, ensuring maximum safety and effectiveness.
To save time, Richard had instructed the AI to focus exclusively on Mind Stone energy rather than attempting comparative analyses of the other Infinity Stones in his possession. While such research might prove valuable in the future, it wasn't necessary for the current project.
Suburban Los Angeles - Private Laboratory
Wanda and Pietro stood in the main laboratory chamber, their eyes taking in the impressive array of monitoring equipment, analysis computers, and life support systems that Richard had assembled over the past month.
While they understood that superhuman transformation was inherently dangerous, seeing the sophisticated medical apparatus in person made the risks feel much more immediate and real.
"Don't be nervous," Richard assured them, noting their apprehensive expressions. "Every aspect of the procedure has been extensively modeled and tested. Apart from the absence of human trial data, all protocols have been verified and should proceed without complications."
"What exactly are the steps involved?" Pietro asked, his voice betraying only slight tension.
"The process is quite straightforward," Richard replied, picking up a vial of crimson liquid and holding it up to the light. "You'll lie on the treatment table while I inject this serum. I'll handle everything else from there."
Pietro studied the mysterious red solution for a moment, then nodded decisively. "I'll go first."
"In that case, Wanda, please wait outside," Richard instructed. "If everything proceeds normally, the entire procedure should take approximately ten minutes."
"Understood," Wanda replied, giving her brother an encouraging smile before departing the laboratory.
Once she had left, Tifa's AI clone immediately sealed the chamber and activated the various monitoring systems designed to track Pietro's vital signs throughout the transformation process.
Pietro approached the specially designed treatment table and carefully positioned himself on its padded surface. As soon as he was properly aligned, mechanical restraints emerged from the table's sides, securing his torso and limbs to prevent involuntary movement during the procedure.
"I just realized I need to use the bathroom," Pietro said suddenly, a note of nervous humor in his voice. "Could I take a quick break first?"
"What do you think?" Richard asked with amusement.
"I guess that's a no," Pietro replied with a weak smile.
"Stop stalling. I'm going to administer a sedative first, and you'll be unconscious within moments."
Before Pietro could respond, Tifa's AI activated the automated injection system, delivering a carefully calculated dose of anesthetic directly into his bloodstream.
Within seconds, Pietro's eyes closed and his breathing settled into the steady rhythm of artificial sleep.
Richard loaded the red serum into the injection apparatus and gave the command: "Administer the catalyst."
"Affirmative, sir," the AI responded, precisely delivering the enhancement formula into Pietro's circulatory system.
Once the serum had been completely absorbed, Richard retrieved the Mind Stone from his system storage and approached the unconscious twin. Placing his left hand gently on Pietro's forehead, he began channeling the Infinity Stone's energy directly into the young man's body.
The process required careful modulation—too little energy and the transformation would fail, too much and Pietro's physiology could be overwhelmed beyond recovery. Richard monitored the energy flow closely, adjusting the intensity based on real-time biometric feedback.
After injecting the calculated amount of Mind Stone energy, Richard withdrew his hand and activated his enhanced vision to observe the changes occurring within Pietro's body.
The alien energy coursed through Pietro's nervous system like liquid lightning, rewriting genetic codes and activating dormant potentials that had been locked away since birth. The transformation was both beautiful and terrifying to witness—a fundamental restructuring of human limitations.
Pietro's return to consciousness was abrupt and dramatic. His eyes snapped open and he released a piercing scream of agony, his body convulsing against the restraints as alien energies rewrote his very essence.
The suffering was mercifully brief. After only five or six seconds of intense pain, Pietro's consciousness fled back into protective oblivion.
When he finally awakened again nearly eight minutes later, the transformation was complete.
"Is it over?" Pietro asked immediately upon seeing Richard beside the table.
"It's finished," Richard confirmed.
Pietro noticed that the restraints had retracted automatically and sat up slowly, testing his body's responses. "I don't feel any different."
"Don't worry—the procedure was successful," Richard assured him. "You should begin manifesting your abilities very soon. Now, please go get Wanda so we can proceed with her transformation."
"Right," Pietro replied, still seeming slightly dazed as he made his way to the laboratory exit.
Wanda's procedure followed the same basic protocol, with one crucial modification. Based on Tifa's analysis, Wanda possessed significantly greater tolerance for Infinity Stone energy than her brother.
If Pietro could safely absorb ten units of Mind Stone power, Wanda could handle up to one hundred and eighty units without adverse effects. This difference suggested that her resulting abilities would be far more potent than Pietro's enhanced speed.
When Wanda's transformation was complete, Richard used his teleportation ability to transport both twins to a remote cabin nestled in the forests near the Rocky Mountains.
"Where are we?" Pietro asked, looking around at the wilderness surrounding their new temporary home.
"A secluded retreat in the Colorado mountains," Richard explained. "You'll both need to stay here until you've learned to control your new abilities."
While Richard was confident he could contain any accidental outbursts of power, he preferred to avoid unnecessary complications by keeping the twins away from populated areas during their adjustment period.