Phoenix in The Marvel

The auction room was silent. All eyes were on the egg, glowing with gold and crimson colors, displayed in the center of the stage. Some looked at it with suspicion, others with admiration. The whispering had ceased, replaced by an atmosphere of attentive listening and holding of breath.

The emcee adjusted the microphone with his gloved hands and began to speak in an impressive tone:

"Ladies and gentlemen, our starting price for this unique discovery is $100,000!"

There was a moment of silence in the room. This is normal at auctions - first everyone gauges each other's reactions. Some were convinced that this object was a fake antique; others wanted to buy it just because it was interesting.

One man raised his hand from behind. "One hundred thousand!"

The moderator nodded. "One hundred thousand dollars. Any bids?"

Tony stared at the egg and took a deep breath. Did this thing have any scientific value? Did it really belong to an ancient and unknown species, or was it just an exaggerated collector's item?

"One hundred and fifty thousand." Another voice rose.

A small smile spread across Tony's face. He hadn't shown any interest yet. He was waiting.

"175,000!"

"Two hundred thousand!"

The prices rose slowly. But Tony still hadn't raised his hand. Pepper, standing next to him, impatiently crossed her arms over her chest.

"Tony, do you really want to buy this?"

Tony leaned forward slightly, not taking his eyes off the egg. "Do you think this thing is fake?"

Pepper examined the egg. "It doesn't matter if it's fake or not. The question is: Do you really need it?"

"Three hundred thousand!" someone shouted from the front.

Tony shook his head slightly. "Why do you think nobody knows what it is?"

Pepper sighed. "Maybe because... they don't need to know?"

Tony smiled. "And that's why I'm interested."

He finally raised his hand. "350,000."

The whispers in the room grew louder. A few people turned to look at him. Tony Stark was interested in the egg.

The announcer raised his voice to hide his excitement. "$350,000, from Tony Stark! Any bids?"

There was silence for a moment. When Tony's name was mentioned, some people hesitated. After all, when Stark wanted something, he got it.

But one man in the front row raised his hand. 375,000.

Tony raised his eyebrows. He liked the little challenge. "Four hundred thousand."

The man hesitated for a moment, then bid again. "425,000."

Tony's smile widened. He liked the thrill. But he also knew that this thing would be his.

"Five hundred thousand."

The room fell silent again. By now, most people had dropped out of the race. Because Tony Stark had made it clear that he meant business.

The announcer smiled and nodded. "Five hundred thousand dollars! Any bids?"

The man in front thought for a moment, then bowed his head and stepped back.

"$500,000 first! $500,000 second! And... $500,000... sold!"

The auctioneer banged his gavel hard.

Pepper shook his head from side to side as the people in the room broke into a light applause. "Great, half a million dollars down the drain."

Tony was still staring at the egg on the stage. Strangely... he felt something stirring inside of him.

And that's when he realized he was involved in something really interesting. He hadn't been wrong in his feelings. This egg was no fake.

The auction was over, Tony Stark had bought the mysterious egg for half a million dollars. Everyone in the room returned to their own conversations as the auction ended. But one of them was too arrogant to remain silent.

Richard Ellsworth. An oil tycoon, a wastrel businessman. An accidental heir to the company his father founded, he was more concerned with maintaining his status than growing his fortune. His focus was less on making money and more on how he could use it to dominate people.

He slowly approached Tony and raised his glass slightly. The smile on his face was more sarcastic than friendly.

"Stark," he said with a slight sneer in his voice. "Buying an egg for half a million dollars... Frankly, it was even more of a splurge than I expected. But I'm curious... What ingenious explanation is behind the luxurious spending this time?"

Tony tilted his head slightly to the side and stared at Ellsworth. He knew these guys. People who tried to elevate themselves by putting others down, whose self-esteem was based on their wealth.

He replied with a smile. "You want an explanation?" He sighed slightly. "All right. I'll explain."

He put his hand in his pocket and looked directly into Ellsworth's eyes. His voice was quiet, but sharp and clear.

"You know, Richard?" he said, as if sharing a secret. "Men like you have always interested me. Money is the only thing on your mind, but the way you have it is tragicomic compared to those who have actually earned it."

The slight smile on Ellsworth's face gave way to a subtle tension.

Tony continued. "If you had been a little smarter... I probably wouldn't have gotten this egg so cheap."

There was a slight hush in the room. A few people nearby slowed their conversations and listened to this encounter.

Ellsworth frowned and tried to speak. "You should be the last person to question my financial acumen, Stark."

Tony shook his head. "Ah, you misunderstand. I'm not questioning your financial acumen because I don't assume there is any." He continued with a slight pause. "You were born an oil heir, Richard. Your company was built by your father. You just signed the papers."

Ellsworth spoke through gritted teeth. "And what did you do, Stark? Take your father's fortune and turn it into an even bigger toy factory?"

Tony smiled slightly. "Nice try, but incomplete." He narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice a little more. It was more of a judgment than a challenge.

"When I took over my father's company, I didn't just grow it, I changed the future of the world. You chose to live in his shadow instead of managing the fortune you inherited. That's why the money I'm spending here seems tragic to you. Because it is a discovery for me and an expense for you."

Ellsworth's face tensed, but he could say nothing. Because what Tony had said was not just sarcasm. It was the truth.

Tony bowed his head slightly and winked. "But hey, don't feel bad. Without people like you, people like me wouldn't have made it this far."

Ellsworth raised his glass to Tony and stepped back without a word.

Pepper took a deep breath and looked at her watch. "Tony, you really can't leave an auction without causing scenes like this?"

Tony shrugged slightly. "Let me know when you stop having fun, Potts."

And as he walked by, watching the egg being placed in the special box, he smiled inwardly.

Because people like Ellsworth only believed in the value of appearances. But Stark... he was no ordinary man.

If you want to support me patreon com Talamo