There was no denying that Joseph's assistant, Louis Cameron, was incredibly competent.
In just a few days, he had formed a full-fledged financial team comprised entirely of Wall Street elites. These professionals weren't just here to pad out the office. They were waiting for Joseph's signal to begin a financial assault—specifically, to short the stock of Hammer Industries.
At the same time, Louis also began recruiting young talents from the X Fund to build the core structure of Joseph's new company—Second World.
At the heart of this new venture was the technical department. The main framework of the world of Oasis was already established, but that was only the beginning. The company had plans to constantly expand dungeons, improve the balance of data within the game, and roll out new content at regular intervals.
This massive responsibility was entrusted to Shadowcat, Katie, and her close friend, Jubilation Lee. Over the years of working side-by-side with Joseph on Oasis, they had not only grown with the system but had become experienced in both development and system design. They weren't just figureheads anymore—they were the backbone of the game's future.
Still, before fully diving back into their work, Joseph had something else in mind. He planned to take them on a special visit.
Their destination? The home of the genius billionaire himself—Iron Man, Tony Stark.
The reasoning was simple. The world of Oasis was too expansive to be managed by humans alone. Once the game went live, it would need a highly sophisticated GM—one capable of overseeing the entire system, catching bugs, maintaining stability, and managing in-game events. This GM would have to be a self-aware artificial intelligence.
With that vision in mind, Joseph had combined cutting-edge technology with powerful magic to create an artificial intelligence named Alice. She was already quite capable—but Joseph knew she lacked something.
No matter how advanced Alice was, she still felt incomplete compared to J.A.R.V.I.S., the AI system used by Stark himself.
There was no shame in admitting that his creation lacked something that Stark's possessed.
A ruler may be long, but an inch may be invaluable.
In other words, even Joseph had limitations, and when it came to AI—there was no one better to consult than Iron Man.
"Joseph, are you sure this is going to work?"
Shadowcat, standing beside him with her arms folded, sounded skeptical. Beside her, Jubilation Lee raised an eyebrow.
"You're talking about Stark's core technology," Jubilation added. "Do you really think he's going to just share that with us?"
"Not long ago," Katie reminded him, "the military tried to force him to hand over the blueprints for the Iron Man suit, and he practically roasted them alive in public."
It was clear that both women were trying to manage their expectations.
They had been close friends with Joseph since childhood. No matter how wild his schemes were, they had always supported him. But sometimes, even they couldn't keep up with how fast he moved or how bold he became.
Shorting Hammer Industries was already a daring idea.
And now asking Iron Man for help?
It was…beyond ambitious.
But Joseph only smiled, as if he had already anticipated their concerns. He spoke calmly but with conviction.
"I'm not asking him to hand anything over for free," Joseph explained. "We're talking about a partnership. A mutually beneficial collaboration."
He continued: "Our company is still in its early stages. We want Oasis to launch as soon as possible. But the biggest challenge isn't programming or content—it's production and logistics."
"Terminal equipment, procurement of rare materials, distribution—we'd need months, even years, to build all that from scratch."
"But Stark Industries already has it all—factories, equipment, global transport chains. If we team up with them, we can cut through all of that red tape and move at ten times the speed."
He paused to let it sink in.
"It's a win-win situation."
Shadowcat and Jubilation exchanged glances.
Technically, it made sense.
But emotionally?
An arms manufacturing giant joining forces with a game development company?
It sounded like something out of a sci-fi comedy.
Still, Joseph wasn't waiting around for doubts to fade. He already had a plan in motion. With a low hum, a glowing space portal shimmered into existence beside him.
He was ready to leave.
At that moment, three figures sprang from the nearby couch—Iceman, Colossus, and Roberto.
"Joseph—wait!" they called out in unison.
He turned with a raised eyebrow. The three looked both anxious and hopeful.
"What about us?" Iceman asked. "What are we supposed to be doing?"
They had been on edge ever since arriving. When Professor Charles Xavier had tasked them with following Joseph, they had assumed they were on a mission—something dangerous, something requiring mutant powers.
But so far?
All they'd done was sit on the sidelines while Joseph, Katie, and Jubilation ran the show.
It was driving them crazy.
Joseph didn't hesitate in his response.
"Study," he said firmly.
The three blinked.
"Think of yourselves as interns," Joseph clarified. "You're part of Second World now. You'll rotate through every department. Learn how the company functions. Understand logistics, planning, finance, and management."
He gave them a pointed look.
"Mutant powers are useful—but if you only know how to fight, you'll never amount to more than foot soldiers. Be more."
And with that, Joseph stepped through the portal.
Katie and Jubilation followed silently.
The space door closed behind them.
The three boys were left speechless.
Since when did joining a mutant mission require learning corporate skills?
They turned toward Jean Grey, who had remained seated, sipping a glass of red wine with elegant detachment.
She raised an eyebrow.
"Don't look at me," she said with a smirk. "You're Second World employees now. Joseph's your boss."
She took another sip, clearly enjoying her time off.
Professor Xavier had instructed her to observe Joseph, not interfere. Unless the students were in danger, she had no plans to interrupt.
The office fell into a long silence.
Then—
Sigh…
Three simultaneous sighs echoed across the room.
Meanwhile, high above the city, the rooftop of Stark Tower gleamed in the moonlight.
A red streak cut through the sky—bright, fast, and unmistakable.
Tony Stark, clad in the Mark IV armor, descended onto the rooftop landing pad. The floor panels shifted automatically, creating a smooth platform.
As the faceplate of his suit lifted, Tony's face was revealed—drained and frustrated.
"J.A.R.V.I.S.," he groaned, "get this damn armor off me. I need a drink. A strong one."
His voice was hoarse, weighed down by exhaustion.
"That idiot Rhodes didn't go easy at all. I think he actually enjoyed breaking my spine!"
He staggered slightly, the suit making subtle mechanical adjustments to keep him upright.
"If I wasn't already dying from this stupid palladium poisoning, I would've wiped the floor with him."
He paused, shaking his head.
"Maybe I was wrong to let him take the Mark II suit. I thought it was a smart move, a contingency plan. But now…"
Tony stared into the city skyline.
"…After I die, maybe then he'll appreciate me."
The bitter humor in his voice faded into quiet reflection.
But just as he prepared to walk inside, he noticed something odd.
The mechanical arms that usually helped remove his armor…didn't move.
"What the hell?" he muttered, looking around.
That's when a voice cut through the stillness.
"Mr. Stark, it seems tonight isn't treating you very well."
Tony's head whipped around.
"Who's there?!"
He immediately raised his right hand. The repulsor in his palm charged up with a dangerous whine.
A bubble shimmered in the air and then burst, revealing three people who hadn't been there a second ago.
Joseph. Shadowcat. Jubilation Lee.
___________________________________
Get membership in patreon to read more chapters
Extra chapters available in patreon
patreon.com/Dragonscribe31