IRON MAN: BROTHER DON'T CAUSE TROUBLE

The battle was over. Smoke still rose from the ruined streets of New York, the scent of burning metal and ash lingering in the air. Emergency sirens wailed in the distance as first responders worked tirelessly, sifting through debris for survivors. Though they had won, the city itself bore the scars of the battle, and no one knew just how many lives had been lost.

Amidst the destruction, the mood among the Avengers was heavy. Even in victory, the weight of what they had witnessed pressed upon them.

Tony Stark, ever the one to lighten the mood, clapped his hands together and spoke up.

"Alright, why the long faces? We did what we could to save as many people as possible. Now, who's up for shawarma? We need to celebrate our victory."

A few chuckled at his attempt, but the heaviness remained.

John, however, was silent. He stood apart from the rest, staring at the ruined cityscape beyond the broken windows. His mind was a storm of conflicting emotions.

'I could have stopped all of this if I wanted to… but I didn't. Was I wrong?'

The question gnawed at him, burrowing deeper with each passing second. Then, as if emerging from the depths of his thoughts, he remembered a conversation he once had with the Ancient One.

"John, how do you think a mage should use their power?"

John had hesitated before answering. "I think magic should be used to help others, not for personal gain."

Back then, he had spoken those words simply to appear noble. But now, standing amidst the devastation, guilt churned in his chest.

"I'm not a savior or a hero," he muttered under his breath. "Then why do I feel like this?"

With a sigh, he turned away from the group, activating a teleportation rune without a word. A moment later, he vanished, reappearing inside Stark Mansion and immediately began inscribing new runes he had obtained from the Helicarrier. As for the runes he couldn't inscribe in his spiritual sea, John had to copy them into his personal diary.

After finishing, John was ready to steal the gems to find out why he couldn't acquire any new runes from it.

---

The moon hung high over the vast ocean, its pale silver glow casting shimmering reflections over the water's surface. High above, hidden among the clouds, the massive S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier drifted silently, its powerful engines humming beneath the steel deck.

Inside, the fortress was alive with activity. Agents moved in disciplined patterns, tending to battle wounds, repairing damage, and securing critical assets. Despite the increased security measures, John was already inside.

Standing atop a maintenance tower on the far end of the Helicarrier's upper deck, he remained cloaked in shadows, his invisibility rune rendering him undetectable. The cold night wind whipped through his coat as he observed the guards below.

"Time to move," he murmured.

With a flick of his wrist, he activated a silence rune and stepped off the edge.

Gravity pulled him down, but before he could reach the metal platform below, he teleported, reappearing just above it. He landed soundlessly, his footsteps lighter than a whisper.

Ahead, two S.H.I.E.L.D. guards patrolled near the main entrance to the containment chamber. Their stance was firm, eyes sharp, but John had seen better.

"Not alert enough."

With a subtle motion of his fingers, he wove a thin thread of air magic around them. The moment the energy touched their skin, their eyes grew heavy.

Their bodies swayed, and within seconds, they collapsed against the metal wall, unconscious.

John stepped over them without hesitation, phasing through the secured steel door like a specter.

The containment chamber was cold and sterile. Bright white lights buzzed overhead, illuminating the walls lined with high-tech security measures. The hum of energy fields filled the air, giving the room an eerie stillness.

At the far end of the chamber, inside their protective containment cases, lay the objects of his mission.

The Tesseract pulsed with a mesmerizing blue glow, its energy shifting like a living force. Next to it, the Mind Stone, still embedded in Loki's scepter, radiated a faint golden light.

John's eyes narrowed as he stepped closer. He hesitated for only a moment before extending a thread of spiritual energy toward the Tesseract.

He wanted to see—

BOOM!

A blinding silver light exploded from the artifact. The entire chamber trembled, alarms blaring. John staggered backward as raw energy surged through his body.

The Tesseract remained in place—but something was wrong.

For a split second, everything fell into silence.

Then—

Inside his spiritual sea, a glowing silver gem materialized, floating next to his Meditation Rune. Its presence sent shockwaves of power through his very soul, weaving into his essence like a living force.

John's breath hitched. His vision blurred before stabilizing.

'The Space Gem… is inside me?!'

Panic surged. This wasn't part of the plan. He had hoped to analyze it, extract its secrets—not absorb it!

His mind raced. If S.H.I.E.L.D. found out, they would hunt him down relentlessly.

No time to think.

A teleportation rune activated instantly, and just as S.H.I.E.L.D. agents burst through the doors, John vanished.

---

Back at Stark Mansion

John reappeared in his private quarters within Stark Mansion, his breath ragged.

The cool night air pressed against his skin, but his body felt… different.

His spiritual sea pulsed, the Space Gem now residing within him, its limitless power humming alongside his own.

He staggered slightly, collapsing onto the edge of the bed. His fingers curled into fists as he tried to calm his thoughts.

"This… is going to be a problem."

For now, the Mind Gem could wait. He had already taken one step too far.