MCU- CH-234. Owner of Genes

In the timeline he came from—one that he wasn't even sure still existed—his son had been determined to snap his fingers and save everyone at the cost of his own life.

And now, Howard Stark didn't want Tony to endure that kind of pain again.

Since he hadn't died from Hydra's assassination thanks to the intervention of a certain god, and even regained his youth, he wanted to make some changes.

"I will carry on the Iron Man mantle!"

Howard declared silently to himself.

As for Tony, Howard believed his son should be free to pursue his own dreams. As his father, Howard decided he should take on some of the burden himself.

However, what Howard didn't expect was that, because of Luke's warning, Tony was already on the verge of awakening. All he needed was the right opportunity to step into his destiny. Iron Man's emergence might come sooner than expected.

Who would claim the name first—the father or the son?

"Howard, you should know that this plan of yours isn't going to be easy," Nick Fury said, leaning forward with a serious expression.

"An officially endorsed team of superpowers that isn't directly controlled by the higher-ups? The Security Council won't like that one bit."

Nick Fury wasn't optimistic about Howard's proposal. Part of the reason was because Fury himself had similar ambitions—his S.H.I.E.L.D. Assault Team was already a promising experiment.

"That's your problem to solve, Fury," Howard said calmly. "If you want to build that floating battleship as a base, you'll never get it done—not even in ten years—without my funding and technical support."

"So, Fury, I'm here to make a deal. With your resourcefulness, I'm confident you won't let me down."

Howard leaned back in his chair with an air of ease. His confidence stemmed from the power of Stark Industries—a company synonymous with innovation and strength.

Howard also had plans to gradually phase out the weapons division of Stark Industries, focusing instead on sustainable energy. With the successful synthesis of a new element, he had secured the future of the company.

If any shareholders disagreed, they'd soon learn why the company bore the Stark name.

Billions of dollars? That was merely a drop in the ocean. After all, in another timeline, Tony had turned billions worth of armor into little more than fireworks.

Fury weighed the pros and cons as he stared at the design for the floating battleship.

"Howard, I'll agree to your terms, but I need you to return. Your expertise is invaluable," Fury finally said, meeting Howard's gaze.

"Fine, but I'll only take an advisory role. I won't meddle in politics—my focus will remain on the new superhero team," Howard replied, recognizing the value of Fury's offer as part of their negotiation.

"Welcome back, my friend," Fury said with a rare smile. Howard responded with a calm smile of his own.

Luke, meanwhile, paid little attention to the events on Earth. His focus was elsewhere. He sensed something fascinating was unfolding.

Initially, he had planned to explore other universes to find beings like Hyperion after leaving Xia. But a strange movement in his divine power diverted his attention.

He traced the disturbance to his genetic information, embedded in a mass of flesh and blood he had left behind. The Constructors were attempting to decipher it, and only one divine shackle remained intact.

"Since you're so eager, I'll lend a hand," Luke muttered, a cold smile playing on his lips.

From across countless universes, he unbound the final shackle, allowing them to finish their work. At the same time, he used his divine power to pinpoint their location. With a flick of his will, he tore through space and stepped into their universe.

The Constructors were an ancient super-civilization, their origins lost to time. Their headquarters, known as Dream Space, was an enormous mechanical fortress spanning a tenth of the Milky Way—a scale so vast that stars seemed insignificant within it.

"Deciphering complete. What is this creature?"

"Words like 'perfect' and 'miraculous' don't do it justice. We Constructors have existed for tens of billions of years and traversed three million realities, yet we've never encountered a genetic system like this!"

The Constructors were mesmerized by the genetic code displayed before them.

Originally, their technological pursuits had been driven by the desire to extend their lifespans. While they now lived a million years on average, they still sought immortality.

"This might allow us to achieve collective perfection!"

"No! If we integrate this, our genetic system will be overwritten. The legacy of the Constructors will be lost!"

"I strongly oppose this. We must preserve our purity. These genes should be weaponized, not incorporated into our race."

Despite their fascination, the Constructors' racial pride won out. Those who made the final decisions were, as always, the most conservative.

"Begin by embedding a slavery system into these genes. Once that's done, mass production can commence," declared the supreme leader.

"We will craft biological weapons to replace all others under our control. After billions of years of dormancy, the path of conquest will resume."

The Constructors bowed deeply in reverence.

Their goal was not destruction but occupation and plunder. To that end, a perfect war machine was indispensable—and Luke's genes offered the ideal blueprint.

But in the shadows of Dream Space, Luke—the true owner of the genes—had already arrived.

___________

A huge thanks to William Reid, Luck George, Osman Gomez, David Aderoju, Wesely_Teixeira, reso60 gomes, Kieron Haydon, thunderwalker123, Romel Rivera, Cesar Montemayor , Victor Perez, Devor, Imen, LazyAsh, Joe Thigpen, Ding dong, Mightyowl1767, Emilio Gonzalez, Nathan Hill, Alexis vasquez, Luca, tsuko leelane, Osiel, Matt, A, ParallaxDawn, Marick Mendoza , Philippe Techer, Chelsea2valve, Onemanarmy, Reed Pace, id wyrm, Rafael Borges, RealReader743, Thomas Desrosiers, Ryan, Chaos420, matt griffin, isaiah ramirez, bikash gurung, Joseph Bishop, arthur Jones, Raiden Allen, Noname09, Gabe Smith, Rome, Benoit Valtin, Ichdaboom, Whitewolf, EmptyBeing, Smithy Boy 420, Atticus Chea Jamaal King, multiverse right, Colin Hilterhaus, nick reisch, Aryan Singh, PhantomNite, Jessie, Chaos, Kds89, BR, Wes Ferrell, Eugene sivila, M.C, Random, Ownin Tarabi Yare, The Meta, Car Crash, Maybay, Gary, Gregg, Velzura, Carlos, greenDUECES, TheEntityAbove, Skulllnight43, Cristher Medina, Adrian, WyrmDragon, kl, Tanner Johnson, Andres Saavedra, john lowry-davis, WMAF Enjoyer, Cade Atkinson, Darius Collins, Josh, Kenechukwu Nkem-ossai, JackM, Scarlet Mars, Justin Barnes, Umbra Paco, Tariel Khalvashi Mr.goldenweek, John, Brennan Tubbs, Sung Jin woo, mike panos, Kobin Philip, brian price, wolfram, Wilnet Duverne, Joe Thingpen, eduardo tellez, Panera employee, Mandy G, Shadow King, Caio Lacerda, abs, Ecokane 0, Auzzo, Taz_231, solo _le, Velzura, Alexander Martinez, Marvin Lynn, OMG X WAFF3LZ, Denacious, idk5231, Drake, Georg Tasche, Maurice, MM, Luis, Alireza Akram, Chamar Ellis, Daniel Thomsen, Kiddeath1998, Jonay, Doomsdaylover321, pop_tarts, Niklas, Red Dragon, Tanner Johnson, Jesus, AIM ABLE, Paul Auke, Stephen, Placid, Origin, Lunar, Tarabi Yare, Sebastian, Lith Vehen, Josh, James Brown, Cranky Chart, semir adam, YoungPhxntom, BOBADAY, Jaz, Lachlan and Trippy, Jose Espinoza, Arctic961, cade hue, KingDre_22, Austin, Danny C, Lord of Mysteries, Chamar Ellis, Piet and Robert Hernandez for supporting me.