The meeting at Stark Tower the next morning had an urgency that David recognized immediately , this wasn't theoretical threat assessment, this was active crisis response.
Tony was pacing when they arrived, surrounded by holographic displays showing data streams, news feeds, and analytical projections. Pepper was on the phone coordinating something, her expression serious. And Bruce Banner looked exhausted, like he'd been working through the night.
"Chen, Sofia, perfect," Tony said without preamble. "We have a problem that's rapidly becoming a catastrophe. Banner, show them what we've found."
Bruce pulled up a series of incidents on the holographic display. "Over the past three weeks, there have been eleven bombings across the United States. Official narrative is that they're unrelated terrorist incidents by various domestic extremists. But the signature is wrong , the explosive mechanisms are too similar, the targeting patterns show strategic coordination, and the timing suggests a single organizing intelligence."
"You're saying someone's running a coordinated terror campaign disguised as scattered attacks," Sofia observed, already analyzing the data patterns on her laptop.
"Exactly. And they're escalating. First attacks were small , minor casualties, limited damage. Testing responses, gauging capabilities. But the most recent three have been significantly more destructive. Whoever's behind this is learning from each incident and scaling up."
David studied the map showing attack locations. Shopping malls, public venues, government buildings , soft targets that maximized fear and disrupted public confidence. Classic terrorism strategy, but executed with unusual sophistication.
"The Mandarin," David said quietly. "This is how it begins in the timeline I remember. A terrorist campaign that targets America's sense of security, building toward a climactic attack on the President himself."
"You remember specifics about targeting and timing?" Tony asked sharply.
"Some. But my confidence is low , this is already diverging from the timeline I recall. In my memories, the campaign started differently and focused more directly on Tony personally. This feels broader, more strategic." David pulled up his notes on the Mandarin threat. "What I remember clearly is that the Mandarin isn't what he appears to be. There's significant deception involved , false identities, manufactured personas, the real threat hiding behind theatrical presentation."
"You're saying the bomber isn't actually the Mandarin?" Pepper asked, joining the conversation.
"I'm saying the public face of the threat won't match the actual source. But details are fuzzy. The Mandarin storyline in my memories was complex, with multiple layers of deception and misdirection. As events diverge from that timeline, I'm less certain which elements remain consistent."
Tony absorbed this with frustration. "So we know there's a deceptive element but not what it is. We know there's escalation coming but not specific targets. We know this is building toward something major but not the exact endgame. That's operationally frustrating intelligence."
"Welcome to my world," David replied. "Foreknowledge that's useful but incomplete, accurate in broad strokes but unreliable on details. It's what we have to work with."
Sofia had been cross-referencing data streams while they talked. "The bombing attacks are just one element. There's a coordinated digital campaign too , social media manipulation, fake news narratives, bot networks amplifying fear and division. Someone's waging information warfare alongside physical attacks. The goal isn't just casualties , it's psychological disruption and political destabilization."
"Can you trace the digital campaign to its source?" Bruce asked.
"Working on it. But whoever's running this is sophisticated , using distributed networks, multiple cutouts, and careful operational security. It'll take time to penetrate their infrastructure." Sofia looked at Tony. "Unless you want to bring full Stark Industries resources to bear on this? I can work faster with JARVIS supporting the analysis."
"JARVIS is already allocated. Consider Stark Industries' full digital warfare capabilities at your disposal." Tony turned to David. "What else do you remember about the Mandarin threat? Any details that might help us anticipate his next move?"
David consulted his notes and memories, trying to extract useful information despite uncertainty. "The campaign builds toward a direct challenge to American power , specifically targeting high-value symbols and individuals. The President was the ultimate target in the timeline I remember, but that might change if events are diverging. There's also a connection to military research , advanced weapons development, experimental technology, possibly Stark Industries contracts."
"Of course there is," Tony muttered. "Every threat eventually connects to my technology. It's like the universe is specifically trolling me."
"The other key element I remember is that resolving this threat required understanding the deception. The obvious threat wasn't the real threat. Looking beneath the surface, questioning assumptions, and recognizing when we're being manipulated , that was essential to the solution."
Pepper had been taking notes. "So we're dealing with a sophisticated adversary running a multi-layered operation that includes physical attacks, information warfare, and strategic deception, building toward a high-value target we can't predict precisely. And our best intelligence comes from someone who remembers a different version of these events from another universe."
"When you put it that way, it sounds insane," David admitted.
"It is insane. It's also what we're working with." Pepper's expression was determined. "So we adapt. Sofia tracks the digital campaign. JARVIS and Stark Industries analyze the bombing patterns. Bruce coordinates with whatever remains of SHIELD's analytical capabilities. And David provides pattern recognition and strategic context from his memories. We work collectively to prevent the next attack and identify the real threat."
"What about the Foundation's role?" David asked. "Our infrastructure isn't designed for counterterrorism operations."
"No, but it is designed for disaster response," Tony pointed out. "If attacks are escalating, your properties could be critical for civilian protection and casualty treatment. You coordinate preparedness on the ground level while we handle threat analysis and interdiction at the federal level."
It made sense, but David also felt the familiar weight of responsibility. More people depending on infrastructure he'd built, more lives potentially saved or lost based on decisions he made, more pressure to perform under impossible conditions.
"We can do that," David confirmed. "I'll coordinate with Patricia and Marcus to enhance security protocols at all Foundation properties and prepare our medical facilities for potential mass casualty scenarios. If the Mandarin is escalating toward a major attack, we'll be positioned to respond."
The meeting continued for hours, establishing coordination protocols and work assignments. Sofia would embed with Stark Industries' digital security team to track the information warfare campaign. David would maintain threat analysis coordination and Foundation preparedness. Tony would work with federal agencies on identifying and interdicting physical threats. And all of them would share intelligence immediately as patterns emerged.
As David and Sofia prepared to leave, Tony pulled David aside privately.
"Your intelligence about threats arriving ahead of schedule , that's concerning on multiple levels. It suggests your presence, your warnings, your preparations are accelerating threat emergence. That's a problem we need to think about."
"I know. Observer effect is real. Every prediction I share potentially changes the outcome, which makes future predictions less reliable." David felt the weight of that paradox. "I don't know how to handle it except to continue providing information while being honest about increasing uncertainty."
"Here's a thought: what if we stop trying to predict specific threats and instead build general resilience? Your Foundation model , creating infrastructure that helps people survive any extraordinary crisis , that works regardless of what specific threats emerge. Maybe we focus on that rather than chasing your diverging timeline."
It was good advice that aligned with what David's team had already concluded. "We're shifting toward that approach. Treating my intelligence as probability rather than prophecy, preparing for threat categories rather than specific scenarios."
"Good. Because I'm concerned about over-reliance on your foreknowledge. It's valuable, but it's also becoming a crutch. We need capabilities that work even when predictions fail." Tony paused. "Also, real talk: how are you holding up? This is a lot of pressure for one person."
"I'm managing. Better than I was , I've learned to distribute responsibility and accept help. But it's still heavy."
"Yeah. I get that." Tony's expression carried understanding born from personal experience. "Just remember: you're not alone in this. You've got a team, you've got allies, and you've got resources. Use them. Don't try to carry everything yourself."
"Thank you. I'll remember that."
As David and Sofia returned to Foundation headquarters, Sofia was unusually quiet, processing something.
"You okay?" David asked.
"Just thinking about what Tony said. About over-reliance on your foreknowledge, about building general resilience instead of specific predictions." Sofia looked at him seriously. "David, what happens when your memories run out? You know about threats in the near-term future, but eventually we'll pass the point where your timeline ended. What then?"
It was a question David had been avoiding thinking about. His memories extended through Endgame and slightly beyond, but they were already approaching events where his knowledge was fragmentary. Eventually, they'd be operating completely blind.
"Then we'll have built enough infrastructure and capabilities to handle threats we can't predict," David replied, hoping he believed it. "That's the whole point of the Foundation , creating resilience that works regardless of specific threats."
"I hope you're right. Because we're going to test that theory sooner than you think."
Over the next two weeks, the Mandarin's campaign continued escalating. Three more bombings, each more sophisticated than the last. The death toll was approaching triple digits. Public fear was intensifying. And political pressure was building for dramatic response that might not address the actual threat.
David coordinated Foundation response while monitoring the broader situation. Their properties weren't directly targeted, but they served as shelters and coordination points for communities affected by nearby attacks. Their medical facilities treated casualties that overwhelmed hospital emergency rooms. Their community networks helped people find information and support in the chaos.
Sofia was embedded at Stark Tower, working eighteen-hour days to trace the digital infrastructure supporting the attacks. Marcus had enhanced security at all Foundation properties to defense-condition-one levels. Patricia was coordinating with federal and local emergency services to ensure smooth cooperation during crisis response. Everyone was operating at maximum capacity.
And then Marcus's daughter visited, walking into a war room atmosphere without context or preparation.
David was in a strategy meeting when Patricia interrupted: "David, Marcus's daughter is here. She wasn't expected until next week, but apparently she came early. Marcus is..." Patricia's expression suggested concern. "He's not handling it well. Teenage daughter showing up during active crisis while he's in tactical operations mode isn't ideal timing."
"Where are they?"
"Marcus's office. It's tense."
David excused himself from the meeting and headed to Marcus's office, finding father and daughter in what looked like a standoff. Marcus stood rigid with stress, while a seventeen-year-old girl who had his eyes and coloring looked angry and hurt.
"Hi," David said carefully. "I'm David Chen. You must be Marcus's daughter."
"Alexis," the girl replied, her tone sharp with emotion. "I came to see what my father does that's so important he abandoned his family for it. He said this was a good time. Apparently not."
Marcus looked like he wanted to disappear. "Alexis, I explained that this is a busy period. I didn't mean you should come right now without coordination , "
"You said come visit, see the work, understand why it matters. So I'm here. But apparently there's always a crisis, always something more important than family. Same as it always was."
David recognized a situation spiraling into disaster and made a quick decision. "Alexis, would you like to see what the Foundation actually does? Not the tactical operations Marcus is handling , the community work, the buildings, the people we serve. I can show you that while Marcus handles his crisis. Then you can decide if the work justifies his choices."
Alexis looked surprised by the offer, then suspicious. "You're trying to sell me on why my dad abandoned us."
"I'm offering context. You don't have to accept his choices, but you should understand them before rejecting them. Fair?"
After a moment, Alexis nodded reluctantly. "Fine. Show me."
David spent the next four hours taking Alexis through Foundation operations. Not the crisis coordination or threat analysis, but the ground-level work , the community center in Brooklyn where after-school programs served kids from struggling families, the medical clinic treating patients who couldn't afford traditional healthcare, the affordable housing development where families were building stable lives in apartments designed with care and intention.
He introduced her to Isabella and Elena, who explained community organizing and mutual aid networks. He showed her the Henderson Park Community Center, where David had started three years ago with nothing but an idea and stubbornness. He let her talk with residents who'd been sheltered during the Chitauri invasion in buildings that had held firm when others collapsed.
"Your father's security protocols saved lives during the invasion," David told her as they stood in the South Bronx building. "His tactical thinking, his crisis planning, his ability to anticipate threats and prepare responses , that's not abstract. It's the reason hundreds of people survived who might not have otherwise."
"So I should be grateful he chose saving strangers over being present for his family?" Alexis's anger was still there but mixed with something else now , confusion, maybe recognition that the situation was more complex than she'd wanted it to be.
"You shouldn't be grateful for his absence. That hurt you and that matters. But you might understand that his choice wasn't about strangers versus family , it was about principle versus presence. He chose to act on his principles even when it cost him personally. That's not a justification, but it is an explanation."
They returned to headquarters as evening fell. Marcus was finishing his crisis coordination, looking exhausted and stressed. When he saw Alexis, his expression carried so much vulnerable hope that David's chest tightened.
"Hey," Marcus said quietly to his daughter. "I'm sorry about earlier. Bad timing."
"Your boss showed me around," Alexis replied, her tone less hostile than before but still guarded. "The work is impressive. I get why it matters. But Dad, impressive work doesn't erase being an absent father. It doesn't make up for missing five years of my life."
"I know. And I'm not trying to make up for it , I can't. But I'm here now, and I want to try to build something with you going forward. If you're willing."
Alexis looked at him for a long moment. "I need time. To think about whether I want you back in my life, whether I can trust you not to disappear again if another crisis comes up. This visit showed me what you do is real and valuable. But it doesn't answer whether you can be a real father and not just a tactical operations director."
"That's fair. Take whatever time you need. I'll be here."
After Alexis left to stay with a friend in the city, Marcus collapsed into a chair in David's office, looking emotionally devastated.
"Thank you for stepping in earlier," Marcus said. "I was handling that terribly."
"You were caught between two things you care about. That's not easy." David sat across from him. "She's processing, Marcus. She's angry but also trying to understand. That's better than just being angry. You've got a chance here."
"A chance I'll probably screw up because crises keep emerging and I'll choose the mission over presence again. It's what I do. What we do." Marcus looked up at David. "How do we balance this? The work that matters, the people who depend on us, the threats that don't pause for personal complications , how do we have lives outside of that?"
David didn't have a good answer. He'd sacrificed relationships and personal connection for the mission since arriving in this world. The work consumed everything, left no room for anything else. And now Marcus was facing the same dilemma.
"I don't know," David admitted. "I'm not good at this balance. But maybe acknowledging the tension is the first step. Alexis needs to see you trying, even when it's hard, even when crises emerge. She needs to see you choosing her sometimes, not just always choosing the mission."
"I can try. Though with the Mandarin escalating and whatever other threats are coming, there's not going to be a convenient time to focus on personal relationships."
"There's never a convenient time. That's why it requires intentional choice." David paused. "Marcus, you're my closest friend and most trusted ally. I want you to have a relationship with your daughter. Not just because you deserve it, but because you need it. We all need connections beyond the work, or we hollow out into nothing but mission focus."
"Is that what's happened to you? Hollowing out?"
The question hit harder than intended. David thought about his existence since arriving in this world , three years of preparation, followed by months of crisis response and coordination. When had he last done something purely for pleasure? When had he last connected with someone outside the mission context? When had he last rested without guilt?
"Probably," David admitted. "I've been so focused on the work, on preparation and response, that I've neglected everything else. That's not sustainable."
"Then we both need to figure out balance. Before the work destroys us from inside even while we're trying to save others from external threats."
They sat in comfortable silence, two people carrying impossible burdens and trying to figure out how to remain human while doing so.
David's phone buzzed. Sofia: Major breakthrough on Mandarin digital tracking. Need you at Stark Tower immediately. This is big.