MARVEL'S MONSTER HUNTER WORLD

Watson stood in place, his body crackling with blue and white lightning, his mind racing through what he was trying to accomplish.

"Hoo ~" He exhaled, and in an instant, the lightning surrounding him dissipated. But his clothes? Completely shredded.

Yeah… Watson had been working hard to control the spread of his electricity throughout his body—without frying his outfit. He really didn't want to risk pulling a "Doctor G goes commando" moment.

"It's still not working. The power is there, but I can't stabilize it yet. No way to make it more solid. Looks like I need a lot more practice."

Doctor G approached. "Ant-Man, you okay? Are you a mutant?"

"I'm fine, and I'm not a mutant. No X-gene in me. This is my superpower. Also, don't call me Ant-Man!"

Ding! System Alert: A brainwave invasion attempt was just repelled!

Watson, who had been about to bicker with Tony, froze.

Brainwave invasion?! Right now?! It's gotta be Professor X.

System! Didn't you say I'm not a mutant?!

Ding! The dragon attribute gene does not belong to this world's X-gene, nor does it belong to an ordinary human gene! For those who can't distinguish between the two, the energy signatures may seem similar.

Watson frowned. So I was… misidentified?

Ding! Multiple armed personnel detected five kilometers north!

The alert snapped Watson out of his thoughts. He glanced at his mini-map—green dots, familiar names.

Coulson's team had arrived.

"Tony, Ethan, time to move."

"They're here?"

"Look." Watson pointed. In the distance, three helicopters were closing in fast.

The moment the choppers touched down, Rhodey jumped out, jogging toward them. He took one look at Watson's shredded clothes and smirked.

"You've had a rough one, buddy. If you ever need backup, call me anytime." Then he turned to Tony. "Hey, was the Jeep fun? Next time, take my car, alright?"

Coulson walked up next, giving Watson an amused shrug. "I thought the terrorists here would be easy to deal with."

"Eh, just a minor inconvenience."

Before anyone could respond, a small, white-and-brown blur shot out from behind Coulson and launched itself at Watson's chest.

"Hahaha, Braised Egg! How have you been? Yeah, I missed you too!" Watson ruffled the oversized cat's head, earning a pleased purr.

Tony raised an eyebrow. "This your cat? Damn, he's huge. Why are all your pets supersized?"

"This is Braised Egg. And he's awesome." Watson grinned, hyping up his cat like a proud dad.

Back at the Air Force Base

The team barely had time to breathe before they were hustled onto the return plane.

But Watson? Yeah, he wasn't taking the S.H.I.E.L.D. flight back with Coulson.

He claimed he wanted to see how a rich man really traveled, and since he wasn't half-dead like Tony was supposed to be in the original timeline, Stark had no excuse to refuse.

Ethan, on the other hand, wanted to go home. Rhodey promised to get someone to escort him safely.

So, with Coulson left to report back to Fury solo…

On Tony's Private Jet

"Ahhh, this is the life…" Watson sighed, sinking into a ridiculously plush leather couch.

He was exhausted and needed to rest. Sure, his dragon-enhanced physique put him leagues above Captain America, but unlike Steve Rogers, he wasn't a machine that never stopped moving. In times of peace, he preferred to chill like a normal person—sleep, relax, and enjoy life.

Psychological rest was just as important. And right now? This was bliss.

"Hey, Little Armor, what's up with you? You look like a silkworm in a cocoon."

Watson cracked open an eye to see Tony approaching with two glasses of champagne.

"If you call me 'Little Armor' again, I'll kick you off this plane. That should give you enough time to reflect before you hit the ground."

"Alright, alright. How about… 'Detective Watson'? I loved that guy as a kid."

Rhodey strolled over. "What are you two arguing about now?"

"Listening to an idiot who just got rescued…" Watson grumbled, face buried in the couch.

"Man, I was just rescued! I need to vent! Do you know what it's like to be locked in a cave for three months?!" Tony flopped down beside him, holding out a glass. "So? A drink?"

"No, Tony. I'm working. I can't drink. And you need to be recovering."

"Rhodey, there are many methods of medical treatment. Trust me, 'recovery' isn't one of them." Tony waved him off. "So? Champagne?"

"Not happening."

"I believe you." Tony smirked. "Just like you believed me when you sent me to Afghanistan."

Watson rolled his eyes. "Braised Egg, go chill in the side room, okay? Be good."

The giant cat meowed and trotted off.

As Watson and Tony stepped into the next cabin, rainbow-colored lights flickered through the space.

Three stunning blonde flight attendants stood there, striking enticing poses. Slowly, a polished steel pole rose up between them.

A sultry atmosphere filled the cabin.

Rhodey, red-faced, muttered into his drink. "Man, again?!"

Wait. Why did he say 'again'…?

Tony, grinning, leaned closer. "Dude, you won't believe what they did to me in that cave. Three months, Rhodey. You sure my—uh—'chrysanthemum' isn't permanently traumatized?"

Rhodey groaned. "Don't ever say that again."

"Listen, the first time I woke up? I was tied to a chair, surrounded by terrorists holding my weapons, and some guy was filming me like I was in a ransom video. Thought they'd slit my throat on live TV! And then? Water torture! Water torture, Rhodey! But hey, thanks to our 'Big Detective' here, we made it out."

Tony conveniently skipped over the whole "building the Mark 1 armor" part. He knew what that would mean to the military, and he wasn't ready to open that can of worms yet.

"My God. Next time, I'm making sure you don't get captured."

At that moment, the three stewardesses strutted toward them, their long legs on full display.

Tony grinned, looping an arm around one's waist. "Man, I promise there won't be a next time…" He winked at Watson. "C'mon, Big Detective. You do know how to have fun, right?"