Alex sat still on the leather sofa outside the conference hall. He felt someone tapping his shoulder. He had just come out of the vision—his thoughts still tangled.
"Alex?"
He blinked and turned. "Did something happen?" he asked.
Pepper stood nearby. "You've been sitting there blankly for the last five minutes."
Alex looked up to see Tony and Rhodey watching him. Tony's brow lifted slightly.
"It's a side effect," Alex said, slowly standing up. "Overusing telekinesis throws off my focus."
Across the room, Coulson noted the comment without a word
Pepper stepped closer. "Are you okay? Should we go to a hospital?"
Alex shook his head. "No need. Nothing that a good sleep can't fix."
---
Two days had passed. Alex stood by the window of the new Kane International building, a modest five-story structure.
"About that group I mentioned yesterday…" he said.
Robert replied, "A.I.M.—Advanced Idea Mechanics. Officially a scientific research agency founded by Aldrich Killian. Funded by the U.S. government, though they operate mostly through shell companies."
Henderson entered with a tablet. "Confirmed activity in Florida. Several labs under dummy corporations. Heavy funding spikes. Classified shipments. It's not solid yet, but definitely not clean."
"Keep watching," Alex said. "Anything solid, I want to hear it first."
They nodded and left.
Alex sat at his desk.
"Hey System," he said. "You said any concept can be enhanced, right? How many points to enhance the Extremis formula?"
[Refined version will require a minimum of 10,000 SP. A prototype or incomplete version will cost anywhere between 50,000 to 100,000 SP]
"Too much," he muttered. "Not worth the risk."
[Host is recommended to issue Personnel Missions to amass SP. Suggested tasks include staff recruitment, client protection, and contract security. Gradual point increase projected.]
"Start issuing missions," Alex said.
The System responded with a soft chime.
Alex scanned through the stack of contracts. "Convert all of them to Personnel Missions."
A pause. Then he added, "We'll hold off on approaching A.I.M. until I have enough points to actually make use of it."
After the mission planning, Alex leaned back in his chair. "System, I want to use the one-time free purchase from the Weapon Section."
The System Shop interface materialized before him.
[Notice: One-time free purchase from Weapon Section is now available.]
Weapons of all kinds appeared before him—firearms, energy-based guns, and compact rail weapons. The PX-21 rifle, the same model he'd seen in a previous mission, sat prominently among them. All had a price tag of 0 SP.
"None of these suit my style," he murmured. "Long-range doesn't complement my abilities."
"System, filter for melee weapons only."
[Filtering... Displaying melee weapons.]
A new list replaced the old, presenting a wide array of choices. He scrolled down toward the end, where the most powerful and expensive items were displayed.
Phase Katana:
A molecular-edged sword capable of slicing through nearly all materials. Enchanted with [Cut]
Ability: Channels energy into sweeping strikes.
Thunder Knuckles:
A pair of reinforced gauntlets that deliver high-voltage shocks with each hit. Enchanted with [Thunder]
Ability: Temporarily overloads and releases a lightning discharge.
Emberfang Dagger:
A curved blade with a constant heat field. Enchanted with [Burn].
Ability: Ignites targets with successive strikes.
Graviton Hammer:
A heavy, single-handed war hammer that manipulates local gravity on impact. Enchanted with [Crush]
Ability: Creates a small gravity field that the user can control.
Twinfang Greatsword:
A double-edged greatsword with a balanced core. Enchanted with [Sever].
Ability: Generates a kinetic edge for wide-range cuts.
Void Crescent Spear:
A bident forged from a collapsed neutron star alloy and twin blades forged from a mix of godly metals. Enchanted with [Break].
Ability: Returns to owner's hand when called.
Every weapon felt unique and powerful in its own right. Alex scrolled through the options, eyes flicking between the katana and the spear.
"Cut through anything… sounds useful. But with my telekinesis and physical enhancement, reach and versatility matter more."
He tapped the spear icon.
"I choose the Void Crescent Spear."
[Confirmed. Void Crescent Spear has been added to Inventory. One-time purchase complete. User is required to bind the weapon by blood to activate its enchantment and ability.]
Alex leaned back. He could already imagine how it would work in his hands.
[Void Crescent Spear: A bident-shaped spear with twin long blades at one end. Its shaft is forged from the collapsed core of a neutron star. The crescent blades are crafted from a fusion of Uru, Adamantine, and Vibranium. Unbreakable and absorb impacts; it is infused with cosmic energy. The Break enchantment lets it shatter brittle materials instantly and damage tougher ones with punishing force. The spear is bound by blood and obeys only its master. When summoned, it dissolves into dark particles and reappears in the wielder's hand.]
"Perfect fit."
He then returned the weapon back into the System Inventory, the digital shimmer swallowing it whole.
Curious, he browsed the rest of the Weapon Section. Now, every weapon he had previously seen was listed with a cost—over 10 million SP each.
He exhaled through his nose. "Definitely got lucky with that one."
---
Two months later.
The missions issued by him had paid off. Through relentless execution of protection contracts, recruitment campaigns, and internal restructuring, Alex had amassed nearly 20,000 SP.
It was time.
He called up the A.I.M. report again. Adrian Killian's name stood out sharply—he'd recently begun human trials on the Extremis formula. Unofficial channels reported at least three confirmed fatalities, all covered up through fabricated accidents or paid silence.
Dr. Maya Hansen, a genetic biologist and the true mastermind behind Extremis, had chosen to stay quiet. Her drive to prove the success of her research outweighed her ethics. Now working directly under Killian through A.I.M., she remained complicit in the experiments.
Alex's jaw tightened as he read the latest reports.
"Enough watching. It's time to take action."
He stood and tapped his comm.
"Henderson, compile all relevant A.I.M. files for review and get the jet ready. We're going to Florida. Prepare thirty elite operators for deployment—full tactical gear."
The jet touched down just before dawn. Hours later, Alex stepped out of a black SUV parked discreetly near the A.I.M. facility in Florida. Around him, thirty elite operatives moved swiftly into formation, their gear gleaming in the early morning light.
"Secure the exits," he ordered. "No one in or out unless I say so. Be ready for anything."
He pulled out his phone. "Uncle, keep the local authorities away. We're retrieving something valuable. And make sure no one from the local enforcement gets curious—it's going to be loud."
He looked up at the facility ahead.
It was time to get his hands on the formula.