Marvel: Starting with Iron Man in the Apocalypse

Chapter 109 Energy Analysis

Back in the top-floor laboratory of Stark Tower, Chen Haotian placed the specially made box containing the Amazonian artifact on the lab table. Tony had been waiting for some time; multiple holographic screens in front of him displayed energy analysis data of the Kryptonian fragments.

"Let me see this toy that fascinates Wayne and his mystery advisor so much." Tony reached out to open the box, but Chen Haotian gently stopped him.

"Wait, Tony. This thing is more...sensitive than anything we've ever handled before." Chen Haotian activated the isolation field of the experimental platform, and a light blue energy barrier completely enveloped the box. "Based on my initial observations at Wayne Enterprises, this sword reacts very strongly to bio-energy."

Nick Fury emerged from the shadows of the laboratory, a curious glint in his single eye: "So you brought back a sword with sentience?"

"It's not entirely a perception ability; it's more like a resonance mechanism." Chen Haotian carefully opened the box, and the bronze short sword gleamed under the laboratory lights. "It can detect the wielder's latent traits and interact with them."

Tony activated the scanner and began a full-scale scan of the dagger: "The energy characteristics are indeed unique, not matching any record in my database. It's neither pure electromagnetic energy, nor nuclear energy, nor the spatial energy of the Tesseract..."

“It’s magical energy, sir,” Nick Fury said suddenly, his voice tinged with uncertainty. “I can feel it… calling to me.”

Chen Haotian and Tony both turned to look at Nick Fury. This experienced agent usually didn't use such poetic language to describe things.

"What do you mean by 'calling'?" Tony asked, adjusting the scanner to focus on Nick Fury.

Nick Fury took a few steps forward, his gaze fixed on the short sword. "It's hard to describe. Like hearing a distant melody, or smelling a familiar scent whose origin you can't quite place."

Chen Haotian pondered, "In the DC Universe, Diana Prince—Wayne's security advisor—also exhibited a similar reaction. She claimed that her family was connected to the sword's maker."

“Diana Prince?” Nick Fury frowned. “I investigated her; her background is suspiciously clean. It’s like someone deliberately created a perfect fake identity for her.”

Tony's scanner suddenly issued an alert: "Interesting! The sword's energy reading increased by 15% as Nick approached. Nick's own brainwave activity also changed."

Chen Haotian retrieved the Kryptonian fragment from under the lab table. As the alien metal, gleaming with a ghostly blue light, appeared in the laboratory, the short sword suddenly emitted a deep hum.

"They're reacting to each other!" Tony exclaimed excitedly, recording the data. "Two energies from completely different sources are resonating!"

Chen Haotian slowly brought the Kryptonite fragment closer to the short sword. The air between them began to distort, sparking tiny bursts of energy. The laboratory lights flickered, and the readings on the equipment screens jumped wildly.

"Stabilize them, Tony! I don't want to blow the building to bits today," Chen Haotian ordered, taking a step back.

Tony quickly activated multiple suppressors, creating a stable force field around the dagger and the Kryptonian fragment. The violent energy fluctuations gradually subsided, but visible arcs of energy still lingered between them.

"This is impossible." Tony stared at the data screen, shaking his head in disbelief. "The two energies are not only interacting, but also converting into each other. Kryptonian technological energy is being converted into that... magical energy, and vice versa."

Nick Fury seemed to be drawn forward by something invisible, moving forward involuntarily. Before Chen Haotian and Tony could react, he had already reached through the force field and grasped the hilt of the short sword.

"Nick, no!" Chen Haotian shouted, but it was too late.

The short sword in Nick Fury's hand erupted with a dazzling golden light, the inscriptions on its blade flowing as if they had come alive. Nick Fury's single eye was instantly filled with the same golden light, and he was suspended in mid-air, causing the items in the laboratory to vibrate violently.

"Energy readings off the charts!" Tony activated all safety protocols immediately. "The lab is about to overload!"

Chen Haotian quickly considered a countermeasure. He grabbed the Kryptonite shard and charged towards Nick Fury without hesitation. The instant the Kryptonite shard made contact with the golden light, a small energy explosion sent all three of them flying.

Chen Haotian slammed heavily against the laboratory wall, wincing in pain. He looked up and saw that Nick Fury had landed back on the ground, his short sword lying to the side, while the Kryptonian shard had rolled into a corner of the laboratory.

"Is everyone alright?" Chen Haotian struggled to his feet and checked his injuries.

Tony crawled out from behind a pile of equipment, his armor automatically covering his body: "Next time you have a brilliant idea like this, give me a heads-up, okay? My latest scanner is now just a pile of scrap metal."

Nick Fury sat on the floor, staring blankly at his hands: "I...I saw something. Images, sounds, strange memories..."

Chen Haotian walked to his side and carefully picked up the short sword. The blade had returned to its original calm, but when he held it in his hand, he could feel a faint, pulse-like throbbing.

"What did you see, Nick?" Chen Haotian asked.

Nick Fury slowly raised his head, the golden light in his single eye fading, but a new gleam flickering within it: "I saw an island, inhabited entirely by female warriors. They were performing a ceremony under the moonlight, passing this sword from generation to generation... I also heard their language and understood a few words..."

Tony walked over, his armor mask retracting, his face filled with shock: "Your brainwave activity indicates that you've just undergone a complete information overload. It's like someone stuffed an entire library into your brain."

Chen Haotian placed the short sword back into the isolation box and pondered for a moment: "This sword is not only a divine weapon, but also a recorder. It preserves the knowledge and memories of its users throughout the ages."

Nick Fury stood up and cracked his knuckles. "Not only that, sir. I feel... I can do some things I couldn't do before."

He focused his attention and extended his finger. At first nothing happened, but a few seconds later, the air around his fingertip began to distort slightly, and a faint flash of light streaked across the sky.

"Damn it!" Tony took a step back. "What is that?"

Nick Fury himself seemed surprised: "I don't know... I was just imagining myself hiding, and then..."

Excitement gleamed in Chen Haotian's eyes: "Magical aptitude! This sword has activated your latent magical abilities!"

The laboratory suddenly went dark, and the emergency lights automatically switched on. Jarvis's voice came from all directions: "Mr. Stark, an energy anomaly in the laboratory has caused the entire building's power system to trip. The backup generator has started, but the main power supply needs to be manually reset."

Tony sighed. "Alright, enough surprises for today. Let's fix the power system first, then continue this 'magic lesson'."

Chen Haotian helped Nick Fury sit down in a chair, noticing that the agent's hands were still trembling slightly: "How are you feeling?"

"It's like drinking ten cups of coffee and not sleeping for three days," Nick Fury rubbed his temples. "My mind is unusually clear, but my body is exhausted."

While repairing the power system, Tony didn't forget to record all the data: "We need to study this phenomenon systematically. If this sword really can grant ordinary people magical abilities..."

"Then we will have the power to change the rules of two worlds." Chen Haotian finished Tony's sentence with a meaningful smile.

When the power was restored, the laboratory lights came back on. The three of them looked simultaneously at the box containing the dagger, each pondering the infinite possibilities and unknown dangers this discovery might bring.