Phoenix in The Marvel

The dim light of the lab shone softly on the egg in the glass case on the table. There was a vague tension in the air - like the calm before a storm.

And Tony Stark was asleep in his chair, his head thrown back.

"Sir, you need to wake up."

Jarvis' voice echoed through the room.

Tony frowned slightly, waving one hand in the air without opening his eyes. "Jarvis... unless this is about an earthquake, a fire, or the collapse of Stark Industries, let me get some more sleep."

"Sir, there's an anomaly in the lab."

Tony's eyes snapped open.

He sat up quickly, leaning forward with his hands on the table. "How abnormal?"

"I've detected an energy fluctuation we couldn't detect before. The energy level emanating from the egg was constant, but in the last few minutes it has begun to fluctuate. This could be a sign of internal change."

Tony narrowed his eyes. "So what are our options?"

"I'm considering a few possibilities, sir."

Jarvis' holographic screen opened and appeared in front of Tony.

Possibility 1: A biological entity is developing within the egg and its energy consumption is increasing. This could indicate that the egg is carrying a normal living embryo.

Possibility 2: The egg is not actually a biological organism, but an energy-producing object. It could contain some kind of reactor, power source, or some other unknown mechanism.

Possibility 3: There is a creature inside, but it is not growing naturally. It could be going through an accelerated development process using the energy source.

Possibility 4: The egg is acting as a cocoon and the entity inside is actually developing.

Tony looked at the screen with raised eyebrows. "Or, possibility five, it's time for the thing inside to come out, and we were completely blindsided?"

"That's a very plausible possibility, sir."

Tony rose from his chair and walked toward the egg.

"So when will we know for sure?"

Jarvis' voice came with a moment's delay. "Right now, sir."

Tony gasped.

A scan appeared on the holographic screen, showing the inside of the egg.

And just then... something was moving inside.

Very clearly.

For a moment, Tony held his breath. Was this a reflexive muscle movement or a conscious one?

Jarvis spoke. "Sir, this is a...

A few seconds of silence.

Tony's patience was wearing thin. "Jarvis, come on! What is it?"

"It... looks like a bird, sir."

The lab fell silent.

Tony squinted at the egg. "Are you kidding me?"

But the image on the screen did indeed show what looked like the silhouette of a tiny bird.

But the question was, was it an ordinary bird?

The lab was quiet. Maybe too quiet.

Tony leaned back slightly in his chair, not taking his eyes off the egg.

According to Jarvis' scan data, there was something inside. A creature. A bird.

But... it couldn't be just any bird.

Obviously, the creature inside the egg had moved. Normally, this would indicate that the creature inside the egg was in the final stages of development. But what puzzled Tony was that the egg was still emitting an unknown energy.

A chick emitting radioactive waves? That would be nonsense.

He sighed. He leaned against the edge of the table, drumming rhythmically with his fingers on the metal surface.

Waiting... It wasn't for him.

He had done work that required patience many times before. In developing a prototype, in engineering calculations, in precision testing. But this was different.

Because there was no logic to it.

Should he consider this a scientific discovery, or should he consider the worst case scenario he could think of?

He narrowed his eyes. "What if it's really dangerous?"

He had an irrational feeling. This thing wasn't supposed to be just an egg. There shouldn't be such a high and erratic release of energy inside a living egg.

But after the movement had been detected... nothing had happened.

Tony tilted his head to the side and looked at the holographic display. The energy levels were steady. There was no change.

It was as if... the egg was completely still.

"What's so mysterious that it does nothing for hours?" he muttered.

He waited a few more minutes. And then a few more minutes.

And then...

He got tired of waiting.

This was something completely against Tony Stark's nature.

He could work for months testing a new technology. He could spend days in the lab solving a problem. But watching something just stand there without moving?

That was something he could not stand.

Without taking his eyes off the egg, he continued to tap his fingers rhythmically on the table.

"Jarvis."

"What?"

"We know this thing is different than a normal egg."

"Yes, sir."

"But right now... it's behaving like a normal egg."

"Apparently so, sir."

Tony took a deep breath.

"And I'm... bored."

Just then, the phone on his desk rang. It was Pepper.

He rolled his eyes and answered.

"Mr. Stark, why didn't you come to the company?" Pepper's voice echoed with impatience and a hint of anger.

Tony spoke without taking his eyes off the egg. "Pep, I'm working on something important."

"More important than your company?"

Tony laughed lightly. "Do you really have to ask that?"

"Mr. Stark, you had a couple of meetings and... you disappeared."

Tony sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "Uh, yeah, the company... I had to go there, didn't I?"

"Yes, Mr. Stark. You absolutely had to go."

His eyes were still on the egg. Maybe he should have waited a few hours. Maybe he should have sat with it until it hatched.

But... nothing happened.

There had been no movement for hours.

Just a few hours ago, this thing had shown that something was living inside it. But now? It was completely silent.

"All right, look. I'll leave in twenty minutes."

"Mr. Stark, the last time you said that, you were gone for four hours."

"This time I mean it. Half an hour. Or forty-five minutes. But no more than an hour."

"Mr. Stark..."

"I'll be there when I'm done, okay?"

Pepper was silent for a moment, then sighed. "If something happens and the company goes under, I hope you'll know."

The phone went dead.

Tony tilted his head to the side and took one last look at the egg. There was still no movement.

If there was something in it, why was he still waiting?

He ran a hand through his hair.

"All right, Jarvis. Company business awaits me. But keep an eye out. If you see the slightest movement, let me know immediately."

"I'll let you know immediately, sir."

He looked at the egg one last time and shook his head from side to side.

To be so mysterious and then completely silent?

It was the worst torture that could be inflicted on Tony Stark.

He took a deep breath and left the lab, leaving the egg with Jarvis to wait.

But something told him he wouldn't have to wait long.

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