Awakening Kryptonian Bloodline In Marvel.

"Ah, I remember now!" Tony pretended to have a sudden realization. "So, you can travel between worlds?"

"Yes, that's right," Malrick replied, ignoring Tony's exaggerated reaction. He knew Tony had simply forgotten.

"My God, you're a genius. The theory of parallel worlds—alternate realities—it's all been proven because of you!"

Tony looked amazed at first, then shifted into a more sincere expression. "When you jump across worlds, you have to take me with you at least once."

"And! If you ever go looking for Kryptonite, count me in."

Tony knew he couldn't talk Malrick out of this path, so instead, he tried to join it. "Besides, when that Kryptonite turns you into a regular guy, I'll finally have a chance to kick your ass."

Malrick was used to Tony's awkward way of showing concern. He considered it for a moment but didn't shut the idea down. "We'll talk about it later."

"Alright, enough about chasing power," Tony said.

Seeing Tony still ready to argue, Malrick shifted the topic. "Let's head back inside. There's something else I need to discuss—something I've wanted to deal with for a long time."

—

Half an hour later, Malrick and Tony were seated around the workbench in the lab.

Tony, in a bathrobe, listened closely. The more Malrick spoke, the more serious Tony's expression became.

"I came back this time with three goals," Malrick began, raising three fingers as if listing targets.

"First, take down Obadiah."

"That one's already done. I kept warning you there was something off about him—and now it's confirmed."

"Second, eliminate the Ten Rings. They kidnapped you, Tony. I'm going after them tomorrow."

"And third… investigate the real reason our parents died."

Tony had been calm until that last point. He tensed. "The truth? What truth? Didn't they die in a car crash?"

Malrick couldn't just say the Winter Soldier—Bucky—was the killer. There was no evidence he could share. And his real target wasn't just Bucky—it was Hydra.

Only Hydra was worthy of the strength Malrick had been cultivating.

"I've always had doubts," Malrick said, clasping his hands and resting his chin on them.

"If it really was just a car accident, why was I—the most vulnerable—left alive, while they died?"

"Malrick, it was the fire. They couldn't escape, and you were thrown from the car. You were wrapped in a baby swaddle—twice around the neck." Tony's voice was quiet but firm, surprisingly lucid.

But deep down, he wanted to believe Malrick. Maybe he'd been waiting all these years for someone to tell him it wasn't an accident.

Eighteen years ago, when Howard and Maria died, Tony wasn't even in town. He'd just had a falling out with his father. He had planned to avoid Los Angeles for a while—Howard's stern face was too much to deal with.

Then came the envelope with the death notice.

That's when he realized some things are truly final.

The grief, the guilt, the anger—it all came flooding back. Not just at the world, but at himself.

Tony had learned to live with the pain. He developed an instinct to never rely on others. But part of him had always hoped—maybe their deaths weren't random. Maybe there was someone to blame.

That hope gave him a direction. A target.

And a chance to make peace with himself.

But he also knew: if there was any truth to this, he couldn't act rashly. The caves in Afghanistan had taught him that. Life had meaning. Every decision carried weight.

"On the surface, it looks like an accident. But what if there's more to it?" Malrick said, locking eyes with him.

"The baby was supposed to die. The cloth around his neck should've ended his life. But the one who staged the crash didn't know I had Kryptonian blood in my body."

Malrick had spent years questioning how he survived. The Winter Soldier didn't spare lives—not out of compassion. He made no mistakes. And yet, Malrick lived.

Only after awakening the Kryptonian blood in his veins did he understand—it wasn't luck. It wasn't a mistake. It was the resilience buried deep within him.

Even dormant, the Kryptonian blood had kept him alive.

Malrick's words hit Tony like a bolt of lightning.

"You're saying…" Tony's voice trailed off. His mind was reeling.

"When I was younger, I didn't trust this theory either," Malrick continued calmly.

"Everyone accepted it as a freak accident. So why couldn't I?"

"But after I awakened, I realized… it wasn't paranoia. It was instinct. I remembered nothing consciously, but the trauma was buried in my subconscious."

"Since I returned, I've been investigating. And now… I've uncovered the truth, Tony."

"Are you serious!?" Tony shot up, pupils dilating as shock and rage overtook him.

"My super hearing tracked them down," Malrick said, voice steady. "The killers… they're with Hydra."

"Hydra!?" Tony's tone turned ice cold. "They were wiped out years ago. That's history."

"They died—temporarily," Malrick replied. "Cut off one head, two more grow back. They've returned."

"I dug into classified records these past few days—deep state-level files."

"I discovered a secret faction buried within global organizations. Hidden in plain sight, answering only to the World Security Council."

"They operate under the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division… better known as S.H.I.E.L.D."

"The group's predecessor was the Strategic Scientific Reserve—co-founded by our fathers during World War II."

"But after the war, during Operation Paperclip, S.H.I.E.L.D. absorbed ex-Hydra scientists from Nazi Germany."

"And those scientists never abandoned their loyalty to Hydra."

Tony's expression darkened. He already saw where this was going. "So, they embedded themselves into S.H.I.E.L.D. and resurrected Hydra from within?"

Malrick nodded. "Exactly. They saw our father—Howard—as a threat to their agenda. So they removed him."

Tony slowly sat back down, lips pressed into a hard line. "How many Hydra agents are in S.H.I.E.L.D. now? Does the current Director know?"

Malrick's next words made Tony shoot back to his feet.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. has over 10,000 personnel. Most of them are Hydra."

"The former Director was Hydra. The current one isn't officially part of them… but he's even worse."

"What?" Tony's voice cracked with disbelief. "You're telling me S.H.I.E.L.D. is basically a Hydra front!?"

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