c23 - Tony the Third Wheel
Harvey followed Tony Stark into his underground research lab.
It was incredibly advanced; holographic projection systems similar to those used in Stark's armor development displayed complex data in midair, replacing traditional flat screens.
Harvey had seen similar technology in movies in his previous life, but now that he was actually here, observing the layered holograms, rotating schematics, and modular armor designs, he looked around with great interest.
"Harvey Ambellaca, you seem to know a lot."
"Have you ever heard of aliens?"
Tony noticed that Harvey Ambellaca didn't seem surprised, only interested, so he asked as he walked toward a worktable filled with Iron Man suit components.
"I know what I need to know. Just tell me what you want to talk about."
Harvey's eyes flashed slightly as he spoke.
"How much do you know about aliens?"
Tony Stark asked directly after hearing Harvey Ambellaca's response.
"I know quite a bit."
"For the sake of this feast, I can answer three questions."
"So it depends on what you want to learn from me."
Harvey casually found a comfortable chair and sat down, smiling faintly as he spoke.
Tony Stark saw Harvey Ambellaca smiling as if he held answers far beyond ordinary understanding, and it only reinforced how mysterious Harvey Ambellaca truly was.
"Is Earth really in such a dangerous situation as Phil Coulson said?"
So Tony Stark thought for a moment and tentatively asked the question he most wanted to know.
"Earth isn't dangerous at all right now, but it will become dangerous in a few years,"
Harvey replied calmly.
"A few years...when exactly is that?"
Tony Stark's eyes narrowed upon hearing this.
"Knowing it will become dangerous in a few years, does the exact time matter?"
Harvey countered with a faint smile.
"Let me think...."
Hearing this, Tony Stark's anxiety eased slightly.
Tony Stark's mind began racing rapidly, processing possibilities like a supercomputer.
He didn't know Harvey Ambellaca's true background, but he instinctively felt that what Harvey Ambellaca said carried weight.
These were three rare opportunities to ask, and he had already used one, gaining knowledge that a major threat would arrive in the coming years.
"So, my second question is, are there any aliens who could become our allies?"
"If so, how can I make contact with them?"
Tony Stark considered carefully before asking again.
"There's an old saying: those who are not of the same kind will never truly share the same mind."
"Wars among humans themselves, despite being the same species, have existed for centuries due to differences in ideology, culture, and power."
"So when do you think humanity would truly unite as allies?"
Harvey did not answer directly but instead posed a question in return.
"When they all have a common enemy?"
Tony Stark paused briefly, then understood the implication.
"Exactly."
"Before a threat large enough appears, alliances between different races or civilizations are fragile at best."
"You'll come to understand this yourself, so this does not count as your second answer."
"Instead, I can tell you roughly when the danger that threatens Earth and even the wider universe will appear."
"If nothing unexpected happens, that time will be in about nine years. At that point, even forces like S.H.I.E.L.D. will be forced into open action, and unity will become inevitable."
Harvey said calmly.
"Nine years from now?"
"2017?"
"Harvey Ambellaca, who exactly are you? How do you know about the future?"
"If there really is such a powerful enemy, why aren't you afraid or worried at all?"
Tony Stark heard the specific timeframe and immediately pressed further, his tone becoming sharper.
"Who I am is not within the scope of this answer."
"As for why I'm not afraid"
"Because fear cannot solve anything. What is destined to happen will happen."
Harvey spread his hands slightly and smiled.
In truth, when it came to beings like Thanos—a warlord who wielded power on a cosmic scale and once sought the Infinity Stones, Harvey was not completely fearless.
At least, not yet.
But that was only temporary.
As long as he continued evolving and strengthening himself through the Void, the gap could eventually be closed.
If the time truly approached and he still lacked confidence, there were always other options.
In a multiversal reality where parallel universes existed as had been hinted at in various cosmic records even someone like him could choose survival over confrontation.
As long as he gained more power, more abilities, and more "templates," even if he could not defeat such an existence, escaping would never be impossible.
Of course, Harvey could understand Tony Stark's current feelings; after encountering unknown forces like the being he called "Death" and learning fragments about extraterrestrial threats, Tony would naturally feel a growing sense of unease and curiosity—but that was exactly the effect Harvey wanted.
"I've already answered two of your questions. You have one last chance."
"You have one final opportunity to ask something. After that, it will depend on whether I feel like answering."
Harvey offered a calm and friendly reminder.
He wasn't communicating with Tony Stark in his identity as the Void entity known as "Death," but rather as Harvey Ambellaca, deliberately maintaining a layer of mystery to stimulate Tony Stark's curiosity and drive.
Therefore, Harvey didn't mind revealing slightly more information.
Tony Stark was, in many ways, a man burdened or even cursed by knowledge; the more he learned, the more compelled he became to act and prepare.
"Phil Coulson believed you were a superhuman and made contact with you."
"He wanted you to join the Avengers Initiative created by Nick Fury."
"Why didn't you join?"
Tony Stark thought for a moment before asking his final question.
"Are you sure that's the one you want to use your last question on?"
Harvey asked, slightly surprised.
"Just answer that."
Tony Stark had already obtained enough information for now.
Whether Harvey Ambellaca's words were true or not would ultimately be verified by time.
"Because Nick Fury's original intention in forming the Avengers may have been noble, but intentions rarely remain pure."
"Eventually, it will become a tool influenced by governments and political powers, and those within it will have to act while considering those external pressures."
"And I have no interest in being commanded or restricted by anyone."
"I act according to my own will, so I chose not to join."
Harvey thought briefly before giving a direct answer.
"Orders from politicians can be worked around. There are always ways to deal with them,"
Tony Stark responded instinctively.
"Tony Stark, don't try to recruit me."
"The only reason we can sit here and have a calm conversation is because we currently have no conflicts or entanglements."
"So don't attempt something beyond your control, or you may invite consequences you won't be able to handle."
Harvey looked at Tony Stark deeply and spoke in an even, composed tone.
Tony Stark was someone who constantly thought ahead, preparing for threats others couldn't even perceive.
Even before formally becoming a core member of the Avengers, his mindset already leaned toward contingency planning and control.
Because of that, Tony Stark's desire to protect Earth and those around him was genuine but it also came with suspicion and caution toward anything powerful.
Even potential allies could become variables that needed to be accounted for.
Although Tony Stark had not officially joined the Avengers Initiative yet, he had already begun thinking about future threats.
After hearing Harvey's words, even if uncertain, Tony Stark had subconsciously started preparing for what might come.
That was why he tried to recruit Harvey Ambellaca.
Perhaps part of him wanted someone who could understand the burden of knowledge.
Or perhaps he simply recognized Harvey's potential value.
But regardless of the reason, Harvey had no intention of joining.
Tony Stark's expression gradually shifted from relaxed confidence to something more serious as he met Harvey's gaze, an inexplicable chill running down his spine.
"Alright, I won't try to persuade you anymore. That was my mistake. Don't look at me like that."
Tony Stark quickly abandoned the idea and raised his hands slightly in concession.
After this exchange, he realized that Harvey Ambellaca's depth was far greater than what had been revealed.
His earlier attempt now felt somewhat presumptuous.
"As for everything we discussed aliens, the future you can share it if you want."
"But don't expose me. I prefer to keep my life undisturbed."
Harvey, seeing Tony Stark back down, didn't pursue the matter further and simply gave a reminder.
"Even if you hadn't said that, I wouldn't tell anyone."
"Honestly, even I'm still struggling to process the idea that in less than a decade, we might face something on that scale."
"The more I learn, the more I feel that ignorance might actually be a kind of comfort."
Tony Stark sighed, leaning back into his chair.
Ever since Afghanistan, his captivity by the Ten Rings and the creation of his first armor—his world had completely changed.
Now, after encountering something like Harvey's "Death" persona, that world had expanded even further into the unknown.
"A crisis doesn't disappear just because you worry about it, so there's no need to overthink it."
"Besides, you still have nine years. With your intellect, creating a few miracles in that time shouldn't be difficult, right?"
Harvey said, noticing Tony Stark's unusually defeated posture.
"Nine years? I'm not even sure I have that long to live."
Harvey's words only deepened Tony Stark's gloom.
"You're referring to the device in your chest the one keeping you alive?"
Harvey's eyes flickered as he glanced toward Tony Stark's chest and spoke.
"Device?"
"You mean the Arc Reactor?"
"You're calling the greatest piece of energy technology in human history a burden?"
Tony Stark immediately stood up, his frustration flaring as his pride as a genius inventor was challenged.
...