Phoenix in The Marvel

As he left the auction, the Los Angeles night was bright. Sitting comfortably in the back of his luxury car, Tony Stark looked out the window. Even as he sat there watching the night, his mind was working non-stop.

He glanced at the gold and crimson patterned egg sitting in a special box on the seat next to him. Why was he so fascinated by this thing? A jewel? A work of art? Or was it something truly supernatural?

As his driver carefully swerved, Tony spoke without taking his eyes off the egg.

"Jarvis."

"Yes, sir?"

"How far to home?"

"About twelve minutes, depending on traffic."

Tony nodded slightly. Fast enough.

His eyes drifted back to the egg. Normally, he wasn't interested in such collectibles. In his world, things were based on calculated risks and certain rewards. But there was something about this egg that he couldn't put his finger on. A strangeness.

And Tony Stark didn't like the unknown. He liked figuring things out.

As the car pulled up to the wide entrance of Stark Manor, sensors scanned the vehicle and opened the automatic doors. Tony opened the car door and stepped out, carefully cradling the box.

Jarvis' voice echoed through the mansion's speakers.

"Welcome, sir."

Tony nodded. "Turn on the lights."

"Of course."

With the automatic lights dimmed, Tony headed straight for his lab. As he entered the elevator, he glanced at the box. A moment ago it had been at auction, and now he was preparing to analyze it in his million-dollar lab.

Sometimes the most ridiculous moments in life are the most important, but you don't realize it at the time.

When the doors to the lab opened, he was greeted by holographic screens, experimental setups, and state-of-the-art machines. This was his sanctuary.

He carefully placed the box on the table in the middle of the room. The gold and crimson patterns on it almost seemed to move in the dim light.

He frowned. Was he imagining it or was there really movement?

Jarvis' voice sounded again.

"Sir, there is no known record of an object of this design in my database. I can run a detailed scan if you wish."

Tony looked at the egg for a moment.

"Not yet."

He leaned back and folded his arms across his chest.

He didn't know what this thing was. But he was going to find out.

"Let's see, what are you?" he muttered.

Tony Stark paused for a moment before he began to examine.

His instincts told him that this was no ordinary discovery.

Tony stood in front of the egg and tilted his head slightly to one side.

The first step in learning about an object was observation. At first glance, this egg looked like a normal bird's egg - except it was the size of an ostrich egg, with gold and red veins and patterns that seemed to change slightly depending on the angle of the light.

He reached out and touched its surface. It was hard, but not smooth. As he ran his hand lightly over it, he noticed microscopic indentations and ridges on its surface.

"Interesting."

He walked over to the lab table and picked up the handheld scanning device. He began to analyze the egg's surface.

Jarvis immediately jumped in.

"Sir, I'm analyzing the surface composition... The results are rather unusual."

Tony squinted at the screen. Normally, an eggshell was composed mostly of calcium carbonate. But this...

"Something else entirely."

The data on the screen showed that the egg was a strange mixture of organic and inorganic materials. It was heavily metallic, but it also had a biological structure.

"How can an egg with so many metallic components be part of something alive?"

He snapped his fingers and grabbed another device. A spectrometer.

Jarvis spoke as the analysis continued.

"Sir, this egg is not an exact match for any known element or alloy. There are components in its composition that we cannot detect."

Tony raised his eyebrows. Undetectable components?

"That's a new one."

He stared at the egg. If this was a scientific mystery, he was certainly the man to solve it.

The next step was to see the inner structure.

He turned on the high frequency scanning device next to the table and slowly placed the egg inside.

The device would map the internal structure using low levels of radiation. If there was an embryo inside, he could see it.

The data on the screen slowly began to form.

But...

Something unexpected happened.

The device gave an error.

Tony blinked his eyes. "Jarvis, what happened?"

"Sir, an unknown energy disturbance was detected during the scan. This interference is preventing the scanner from collecting data."

Tony's face immediately turned serious.

"Unknown energy?"

Jarvis continued. "Yes, sir, the energy spectrum does not match any known energy source in the lab."

Tony was silent for several seconds. This couldn't be a joke.

If it was indeed emitting undetectable energy, it could be an object unlike anything known in nature.

He looked at the egg again.

"Well, my friend..." he muttered. "What the hell are you really?"

Tony took a deep breath without taking his eyes off the egg. An unknown energy source usually meant one of two things: Either a groundbreaking discovery or mortal danger, and Tony Stark was not one to trust his luck.

He threw back his shoulders and rolled up his sleeves. "Jarvis, there's a lot we don't know about this egg."

"That's right, sir.

"We don't know what's in it. Is it biological, synthetic, or... even stranger, a combination of the two?"

"Based on our current data, it's hard to say that the egg is a purely natural formation. Its metallic components are not consistent with its organic structure."

Tony frowned. "And the biggest problem is... what might come out of it."

He looked at the egg closely. If it was a normal bird's egg, you would expect to see a chick inside. But this thing? Veins of gold, unknown compounds, and now an unidentified power source.

"Jarvis, run scenarios for possible entities that could hatch from this egg."

"Right away, sir."

A holographic screen opened. Jarvis' simulation generated several possibilities:

Scenario 1: The egg contains an ordinary organism. It may be a product of natural evolution, but its genetic makeup is unique.

Scenario 2: Inside is a genetically engineered being. Maybe a lab experiment, a government project, or a secret biological weapon.

Scenario 3: It contains a completely unknown species. An organism of previously unknown evolutionary origin or of supernatural origin.

Scenario 4: The egg is not entirely biological, perhaps some kind of capsule. It does not contain a creature, but perhaps a device, perhaps a message.

Tony narrowed his eyes. Even the fourth scenario seemed less frightening than the others.

He put his hands on his waist, thought for a few seconds, then decided.

"We'll take security measures."

"Exactly what precautions are you suggesting, sir?"

Tony approached the egg, then opened the locked cabinet next to the desk. Inside was the equipment he used for various security protocols.

First, he needed to isolate the area where the egg had been found.

"Jarvis, activate the lab's B-17 security protocol."

"Roger that, sir. Isolating the lab."

Red lights began flashing and the lab doors automatically locked.

"Upgrade air filtration system for potential biological hazards. Maintain constant oxygen levels inside and prevent outside air from entering."

"Implementing."

There was a slight mechanical sound. The filtration systems had been activated.

Now physical security measures were required.

Tony purchased a glass case that generated a special magnetic field. It was often used to protect precious metal samples, hazardous materials, or sensitive electronic components.

He carefully placed the egg and closed the top of the case.

The magnetic field would also follow any electrical activity inside the egg. If anything came to light, Tony would know in an instant.

Last but not least.

"Jarvis, initiate low frequency magnetic scans. Let me know immediately if you detect any movement, temperature change or energy release inside the egg."

"Yes, sir."

Tony sat back and exhaled deeply.

An unknown egg. Unknown energy. And now he had to wait to see what was inside.

"All right, little secret. If what comes out of it is going to blow up my lab, let's at least find out by looking at it."

He nodded slightly and sat down in the chair.

It was time to wait.

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