Phoenix in The Marvel

Under the dim lights of the lab, the little creature was curled up comfortably, sleeping with a full stomach.

Tony narrowed his eyes. The scene seemed too innocent and peaceful after the chaos of the day. It wasn't like the stubborn bird that had just refused him a meal.

Its tiny body rose and fell slightly, the glow in its feathers slowly fading.

Tony sat in the lab chair, rested his arms on the table, and continued to stare at her.

"You know, you almost look like a normal bird when you sleep."

Jarvis' voice echoed. "I suggest you don't be fooled by appearances, sir."

Tony couldn't help but roll his eyes. "Yes, yes, I know, but tell me, Jarvis... does this little thing really have the massive energy emanating from that egg?"

Jarvis was silent for several seconds.

"It's hard to say, sir. The energy waves emanating from the egg were extremely intense and variable. At the moment, however, I am not detecting that level of energy emission when I scan this creature."

Tony frowned. "So what? Is that great energy gone? Or is it still there but dormant?"

"The second possibility is more likely. But I should point out that the cellular structure of the organism functions differently than a standard biological system. There may be energy stored in it and it may be suppressing it right now."

Tony leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath.

"What if that energy is suddenly released?"

Jarvis paused for a moment. "In that case, depending on the condition of the lab, we could be damaged, sir."

Tony raised his eyebrows. "Great. So this little thing could basically be a live energy bomb?"

"That possibility cannot be completely ruled out."

Tony shook his head from side to side and looked at the sleeping bird. "Alright... Little disaster, I hope you don't blow us up when you wake up."

The bird stirred slightly in its sleep, as if it could hear what Tony was saying.

Tony narrowed his eyes. "Jarvis, did it move or was that just me?"

"Looks like it was dreaming."

Tony smiled wryly. "Great. Not only is it an energy bomb, it's a dreaming energy bomb."

Suddenly, the baby bird spread its tiny wings slightly, made a short 'chirp' sound with its mouth, curled up again and went back to sleep.

Tony took a deep breath without taking his eyes off the bird.

"Jarvis, in your expert opinion, what exactly is this thing?"

Jarvis' voice was as calm as ever. "It is difficult to make a definitive classification with the available data, sir, but my analysis suggests that the organism has a high energy storage capacity, an abnormally fast metabolism, and a body temperature that stabilizes at approximately 125 degrees Fahrenheit."

Tony raised his eyebrows. "This little thing is basically a living bonfire!"

Jarvis continued.

"The cell structure is also quite unusual. The energy production seems to follow standard biological processes at the mitochondrial level, but there seems to be an additional mechanism inside."

Tony leaned forward slightly in his chair. "What kind of mechanism?"

"This creature seems to be able to feed not only on the nutrients it receives, but also on waves of energy from external sources. The source of the excess energy it emitted while in the egg could be either a large innate reserve or energy it absorbed and accumulated from outside."

Tony paused for a moment. "Wait a second... External energy? I mean, does it draw electricity? Or does it run on sunlight?"

Jarvis thought for a moment. "It's hard to say for sure, but if that's true, the creature could be an organism with both classical feeding methods and the ability to absorb energy."

Tony narrowed his eyes. "Okay... This could be very good or very, very bad. Because if it stores too much energy and can't control it, it's basically a living nuclear reactor."

At that moment, the little bird stirred slightly in its sleep. Its wings trembled for a moment, its feathers flashed slightly, but then it calmed down again.

Tony took a deep breath. "Okay, it's docile now. But can we guarantee it will stay that way?"

Jarvis replied. "At this point, sir, we need to study the organism's internal mechanisms more closely. We can take a blood sample and analyze its genetic makeup."

Tony froze for a moment. Then he leaned back in his chair as if he regretted hearing Jarvis' suggestion.

"A blood sample? Really, Jarvis?"

"It's a common method of analysis for unknown species, sir."

Tony threw both hands up in the air. "I know, I know, but think about it. If the little thing wakes up and sees me hunched over it with a needle in my hand, what will it do?"

"It might try to escape."

"Best case scenario!" Tony snapped. "What about worst-case scenario?"

Jarvis' voice trailed off for a second. "He could blow up the lab."

Tony sighed. "Exactly, Jarvis. I don't want our little disaster to make us look like roasted chickens.

"There was a moment of silence. The little bird buried its nose in its feathers in its sleep and made a sound like a low growl.

Tony frowned. "Is that thing... grunting?"

Jarvis replied. "The motor reflexes of some organisms can be triggered during sleep, sir."

Tony narrowed his eyes. "There may be a cool scientific explanation for that... but I still can't get used to the idea of a bird grunting itself to sleep."

He took a deep breath and leaned back to rest his eyes.

"Okay, the blood sample is on hold for now. But there must be another way to further analyze its structure."

Jarvis thought. "Perhaps we could measure its energy activity in a natural way without harming it. We could observe how it reacts to external stimuli and try to understand its biological mechanisms."

Tony smiled slightly. "Now you're talking, Jarvis. We can find a way to learn how the little thing works without taking any risks. But we have to be patient."

He turned his eyes back to the bird.

It was asleep. It looked innocent, small and vulnerable.

But Tony knew instinctively...this thing was definitely much more than it looked.

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