Alex had always been fascinated by technology. From a young age, he loved watching movies and shows that featured advanced machines, AI, and futuristic gadgets. Iron Man, Ben 10, Transformers—these weren't just entertainment for him. They were inspiration. While others dreamed of being superheroes, Alex dreamed of creating them.
His room was filled with half-finished projects, circuit boards, and blueprints for inventions that seemed impossible to the average person. Unlike most people who just watched in awe, he wanted to build those things. And in some ways, he did.
At just twenty-two, he had made some impressive gadgets. A voice-controlled drone that followed him around like a loyal pet. A holographic display that could project 3D images mid-air. Even a prototype exoskeleton glove that enhanced grip strength. It wasn't exactly Iron Man's suit, but it was a start.
Yet, none of that satisfied him. He wanted something more. Something revolutionary. Something no one had ever done before.
So, he set his sights on the arc reactor.
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Alex's Workshop
Alex had spent months designing his own version of the reactor. Theoretically, it was possible. The original one in the Iron Man movies was a miniaturized fusion reactor, so he focused on creating a sustainable energy core using high-temperature superconductors and a unique palladium-based catalyst.
After weeks of calculations and failed tests, he was finally close.
His tiny workshop buzzed with activity. Wires ran across the table, connected to a circular metal device in the center. A faint blue light flickered from within as he made final adjustments.
"This is it," he muttered, excitement rushing through his veins.
He placed the device in a containment unit and started the activation sequence. The reactor began to glow, the hum of energy growing louder. His heart pounded. This was history in the making.
For a few seconds, everything seemed fine. The power readings were stable, and the energy core pulsed rhythmically. But then—
Beep! Beep! Warning!
The containment failed. The blue glow turned violent, sparks flying from the device. The core was unstable.
"No, no, no!" Alex scrambled to shut it down, but it was too late.
A blinding flash filled the room.
Then, everything went dark.
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Unknown Location
Pain.
It was the first thing Alex felt when he regained consciousness. His body ached, his head throbbed, and his chest felt… heavy.
He groaned, eyes fluttering open to a dimly lit space. A cave? The air smelled of dust and iron, the walls rough and uneven.
His mind was still hazy, but something felt off. This wasn't his workshop. And why did his chest feel like something was pressing down on it?
Instinctively, he reached up and tried to pull at whatever was on him—
"Stop," a voice said firmly.
Alex froze. He turned his head and saw a man sitting nearby, watching him with calm but tired eyes. An older man with a beard and a kind expression.
"Don't touch that," the man said again. "It's keeping the shrapnel from reaching your heart."
Shrapnel? Heart?
Alex's mind raced. His eyes darted down, and that's when he saw it.
A metallic device was embedded in his chest, wires running from it. It was a crude electromagnet, connected to a car battery nearby.
His breath caught. No way.
He looked back at the man. Recognition slammed into him like a truck.
"Yinsen…" he whispered.
The man raised an eyebrow. "You remember me?"
Alex's entire body tensed. This scene—this situation—it was familiar. He had seen it countless times in movies, fanfics, and discussions.
A dimly lit cave. A man with shrapnel in his chest. A crude electromagnet keeping it from killing him.
He wasn't just in a cave. He was in Afghanistan.
And he wasn't just anyone. He was Tony Stark.
Realization hit like a shockwave.
How? Why? Was this a dream? A simulation? Or… was he really reborn?
He inhaled deeply, trying to calm himself. The pain in his body felt too real for this to be a dream. His heartbeat was steady, the cave air cool against his skin. Everything was too detailed.
At that moment, something strange happened. A wave of memories surged through his mind, memories that weren't his.
Flashes of a childhood spent in wealth. The halls of Stark Industries. The feeling of designing weapons, of building machines beyond imagination.
And more—something unexpected.
Memories of mutants.
Images of Charles Xavier, of Magneto, of the Hellfire Club pulling strings behind the scenes. A world where mutants were real—not just fiction, but a hidden part of society.
The X-Men, fighting to protect their kind. The Brotherhood, rebelling against humanity's fear. Governments trying to control what they didn't understand.
His breath hitched. This wasn't just the MCU.
This was a world where mutants existed alongside it.
The realization sent a shiver down his spine.
The excitement and uneasiness hit him almost immediately. He had always dreamed of living in this world, of having the chance to change things. And now?
Now he was Tony Stark, the man who would become Iron Man.
But he wouldn't make the same mistakes.
The original Tony had been brilliant, but reckless. His arrogance had cost him time, people, and even his own life. Alex—no, Tony—wouldn't let that happen.
This was his second chance.
And he was going to rewrite fate.
As he made that decision, something shifted within him.
It was faint at first—a tingling under his skin. Then, a wave of strange awareness spread through his body, like an invisible system coming online.
For a moment, the world around him felt… different.
The walls, the ground, the metal of the electromagnet—it was as if he could sense them on a level beyond touch.
Like they were part of him.
His fingers twitched, and for a brief second, he had the overwhelming urge to reach out—not physically, but mentally—toward the device in his chest.
What was this?
His heart pounded.
He didn't know yet, but one thing was clear: this body was not just Tony Stark's.
Something else was inside him.
Something more.
To be continued…