Endless wind and snow turned the Arctic into an almost completely uninhabited zone.Aside from the native Inuit population, hardly anyone ever came this far north.
"Damn it! Ryan, are you sure the person we're looking for is out here?"
Encased in armor specifically designed for extreme polar conditions, Tony Stark hovered in midair, thoroughly fed up with the brutal weather outside.
"Relax," Ryan Cole replied casually from inside his private aircraft, swirling the wine in his glass with a smile."The title Oracle isn't just for show. Trust me—we're in the right place."
The aircraft wasn't a private jet.Nor was it a Bugatti–Volg luxury transport.
It was something else entirely.
Sleek. Aggressively futuristic.
If an Elysium executive had been present, they'd immediately recognize the exterior—it closely resembled a medical transport shuttle.
The difference was that this one was far more streamlined, lacking the rigid, utilitarian edges of a standard medical craft.
As for the interior?
That was a whole different story.
A luxurious living cabin.A fully equipped medical bay.And countless other high-end systems.
From any angle, it made private jets look like budget airlines.
"And why am I freezing my ass off outside," Tony complained over the suit's comms, "while you get to sit inside a warm, comfy flying palace? That's not fair!"
Seeing Ryan's relaxed posture through his HUD gave Tony an immediate urge to go on strike.
Still…
After repeatedly watching Ryan's so-called "trash talk" get proven right again and again, Tony had to admit—no matter how annoying it was—that Ryan really did seem to know the future.
Or the past.
Or both.
"Come on, Tony," Ryan said without a shred of guilt, lifting his glass."At least you've got power armor. Phil and his team don't even have that."
"Searching the Arctic in vehicles under conditions like this?" Ryan added cheerfully."Just thinking about it hurts. So yeah—count your blessings."
"Bullshit," Tony muttered as he rocketed across the frozen plains."That's officially the worst pep talk I've ever heard."
With no precise coordinates—and with the Arctic terrain shifting daily—the search dragged on for a full three days before they finally got results.
And whether it was fate or Phil Coulson's unwavering fanboy energy…
The first team to locate the target wasn't Ryan.
And it wasn't Tony.
It was Coulson's ground unit.
"Phil, are you sure you've found the target?"
Ryan asked from his luxury sofa, casually watching the latest esports championship on a floating display.
Standing in the brutal cold, bundled in heavy thermal gear, Phil Coulson shifted stiffly as he replied through the comms:
"Based on your description, this should be it.But the object isn't on the ice—it's beneath it."
"Congratulations, Phil," Ryan said, already redirecting the aircraft toward their position."You found your idol. Looks like your wish is about to come true."
"Yeah," Phil said, unable to hide his excitement."I can't wait."
The idea of personally discovering his lifelong hero had Phil practically vibrating with anticipation.
Powered by massive engines, Ryan's aircraft reached the site quickly.
As for Iron Man?
After just one day of serious searching, Tony had started getting… creative.
When the discovery came in, he was enjoying the enthusiastic hospitality of local women at a bar in Iceland.
By the time Tony finally arrived, excavation had already been paused.
"Alright," Tony announced as he stepped into the medical bay, flipping open his helmet."Let's see what the real American hero looks like."
On the medical platform lay a perfectly built man—muscular, powerful, and completely naked.
Ignoring Tony entirely, Phil leaned close, worry written all over his face.
"Ryan, how is he?"
"He's fine," Ryan replied after reviewing the scan results."According to the platform, the Captain's condition is excellent."
"Excellent?" Tony frowned."He barely looks alive."
"If you don't know how to speak," Phil snapped, rare anger flashing across his usually calm face,"then don't."
And when a nice guy finally lost his temper?
The impact was impressive.
Startled, Tony raised both hands.
"Whoa—easy. I was joking."
"Then why hasn't he woken up?" Phil asked, turning back.
"Simple," Ryan said, tossing Tony a smug glance."Captain Rogers entered a state similar to hibernation while frozen.It's a self-preservation response from the Super Soldier Serum."
"It takes time to shut down," Ryan continued."Forcing him awake would only make things worse."
"That makes sense," Phil nodded.
Though disappointed he couldn't meet his idol immediately, he understood the priorities.
"Ryan," he said,"I'll need you to transport the Captain back to headquarters."
"No problem," Ryan smiled."That was part of the deal."
"I know," Phil said carefully."But I want you to wait until he recovers before drawing any blood."
"Fair enough," Ryan shrugged."But I still need a small sample now—just to confirm his current condition."
Once assured it was only a few drops for preliminary testing, Phil agreed.
With Captain America secured, there was no way Phil was staying another second on the Arctic ice.
It didn't take long before the three of them—
No.
Four of them.
Returned to S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters.
"Damn it," Tony muttered after calculating the aircraft's cruising speed."Competing with this thing again would officially make me an idiot."
He even emphasized the word idiot in awkward, heavily accented Chinese.
Even Phil—despite his concern for the Captain—was completely stunned by the speed.
From the Arctic to New York in less time than a grocery run?
That was insane.
"Well," Ryan said calmly as Captain America was wheeled away,"I've delivered the goods. I trust you won't back out of the trade."
"Don't worry," Phil replied."As soon as the Captain recovers, you'll get what you're owed."
"Good," Ryan said lightly."Oh—and about recruiting the other candidate? I suggest you be… gentle."
He paused.
"And if the Captain needs psychological support—or anything else—you know where to find me. Pro bono."
"If necessary," Phil said, giving Ryan a look,"I'll contact you."
Soon, the white aircraft lifted into the sky, heading toward Umbrella Technologies Tower.
Watching Tony casually drink while still in his armor, Ryan chuckled as he returned to the living cabin.
"Mission's done, Tony. Why are you still here?Not worried about Pepper? I hear she's been getting a lot of flowers lately."
"That just means she's hot property," Tony said dismissively, quickly downing his drink while scanning the aircraft."Nothing to worry about."
Then he changed the subject.
"Ryan—do you really think Ivan Vanko's combat drones were that good?"
"Ugly design. Limited functions," Ryan said, pouring himself a glass of red wine."But from a practical standpoint? Yeah. They're solid."
"And if I built something similar," Tony asked seriously,"could it really solve the crisis you mentioned?"
"I already told you," Ryan said, wagging a finger."This isn't something you can handle alone."
Then he shifted tone.
"But if you're serious about intelligent machines, I actually think it's a good idea—with one major caveat."
"Which is?" Tony asked, curious.
"Not every AI is as loyal as J.A.R.V.I.S.," Ryan replied calmly."The more powerful the AI, the more dangerous it becomes if something goes wrong."
"You of all people should understand that."
Tony nodded vaguely.
"I'll think about it."
Ryan knew Tony hadn't really taken it to heart.
After all…
Avengers: Age of Ultron hadn't even been released yet when Ryan arrived in this world.
For a moment, Ryan considered warning him—don't build Ultron.
But then he reconsidered.
His presence had already altered the timeline drastically.
And even if history tried to correct itself…
Ultron's emergence might not be a bad thing—for him.
The warning died on his lips.