IRON MAN: BROTHER DON'T CAUSE TROUBLE

Helicarrier

John sat silently in a corner, exuding an aura that kept everyone at bay. It wasn't that they didn't want to approach him; the oppressive atmosphere around him was simply too intimidating.

Since breaking through to the fourth stage, John had developed this kind of aura. Its only practical uses, as far as he could tell, were keeping others away and forming a barrier against dust and bacteria, which bounced off harmlessly. Beyond that, he had yet to find any significant purpose for it.

Tony and the rest of the Avengers had already departed to capture Loki. Only the Avengers, with their courage and resilience, could withstand the oppressive energy John radiated.

Feeling bored, John decided to step outside. The deck was deserted, as the strong winds discouraged anyone from lingering there. For John, however, the gusts posed no problem. He stood by the railing, gazing down at the vast ocean below, but his boredom soon returned.

Seeking a distraction, John activated his Eye of Truth, hoping to discover new runes. What appeared before him left him astonished. The entire Helicarrier seemed to be composed of floating runes, hundreds of them shimmering in the air. Upon closer inspection, he noticed these runes were unlike any he had encountered before.

Previously, the runes John collected were intricate, resembling complex words. Now, they appeared as individual characters, like an alphabet broken down into singular letters—simple and isolated. For example, instead of a rune representing "Fire," he now saw the runes for "F," "I," "R," and "E" separately.

Intrigued by this new discovery, John quickly pulled out a small notebook and began copying the runes meticulously. The task consumed two full hours, but John was too engrossed to notice the time. His actions, however, did not go unnoticed by Fury and other S.H.I.E.L.D. members observing him through the glass window. They were baffled by the mysterious figure who had been standing outside for so long, and none dared to approach or question him.

Fury, in particular, found his gaze frequently drawn to John. There was something oddly familiar about him, though he couldn't pinpoint what it was. He even tried comparing John Stark with this enigmatic person but remained uncertain.

As John was about to head back inside, the sound of engines and activity signaled the return of Natasha's group, now bringing Loki as their captive. John re-entered the Helicarrier behind Tony, who had returned with a few scratches on his suit, indicating a skirmish—likely with Thor, John mused.

Loki was escorted into a specially designed containment cell. The atmosphere on the Helicarrier grew tense as the god of mischief was secured. The cold, sterile environment of the holding cell contrasted sharply with the chaos Loki was known for.

Back in the meeting room, the Avengers gathered again, this time with an additional member—Thor. The Asgardian's eyes fixed on John, his gaze intense and searching.

John felt a flicker of surprise. "Has he noticed something?" he wondered.

Meanwhile, in another part of the Helicarrier, Fury and Maria Hill were having a quiet conversation.

"Who is he, really?" Maria asked, her eyes glancing toward the mysterious figure on the monitor.

Fury leaned back, his expression contemplative. "I don't know yet. There's something familiar about him, but I can't place it. We'll keep a close watch. For now, he seems... cooperative."

Maria nodded, though the uncertainty lingered. "Should we approach him?"

"Not yet. Let's see how things unfold," Fury replied, his gaze still locked on the monitor, watching as John re-entered the room.

All their thoughts had nothing to do with John. He was immersed in his notes, completely detached from the outside world. At this moment, John was meticulously examining the runes one by one, but he couldn't figure out their exact uses.

John only knew three types of runes so far: the meditation rune, the elemental rune, and the ability rune. However, this time, he had discovered another type of rune entirely. Before finding this new rune, John had started to regret arriving so early. He thought he should have come when the war had already begun. But now, all his regrets vanished like smoke in the wind due to this exciting discovery.

"I'll have to experiment to figure out their uses," John thought.

This wasn't the right place for such experiments, though. So, he carefully tucked the notes into his pocket and began observing his surroundings.

John already knew what was going to happen next. To avoid being caught off guard by a surprise attack, he decided to strengthen the meeting room as much as possible. The only way to do this was by increasing the durability of the metal walls around him. Since the Helicarrier was primarily made of metal, it was relatively simple for John to enhance its strength.

He walked to the nearest wall and placed his hands against its cool, metallic surface. Drawing upon the elemental rune he had mastered, John began infusing the wall with energy. A faint golden glow appeared around his hands, spreading across the surface like ripples in water.

The process required extreme focus. First, John visualized the molecular structure of the metal, mentally reinforcing its bonds. Then, he channeled energy into the elemental rune, weaving it through the material to fortify its composition. He layered the energy in thin sheets, creating an almost impenetrable barrier.

Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as the process drained his stamina. When he finally stepped back, the walls glimmered faintly, a testament to their newfound strength.

"This should hold for now," John muttered, wiping his brow. He took a moment to catch his breath .

As John turned around, he noticed that everyone in the meeting hall was staring at him and the wall behind him.

Feeling awkward, John cleared his throat a few times and said, "I was reinforcing the wall so it wouldn't get damaged during the fight."

Hearing this, everyone was left speechless. 'Why would we fight here?' they all thought simultaneously.