"The Truth About Iron Man and Colonel Rhodes' Falling-Out Revealed!"
"Why Did Tony Stark Quit Partying? The Real Reason Will Shock You!"
"Tears! Iron Man Hands Off His Presidency and Turns to Gaming!"
"Tony Stark Claims One Game Will Change the World!"
"A Game Worth 90 Billion – Only the Richest Can Play?"
"Iron Man's New Obsession Isn't What You Think!"
...
The internet had officially lost its mind.
Fueled by the talents of Shadowcat—hacker, strategist, and marketing savant—and the hyper-intelligent AI Alice, the virtual campaign Joseph had planned unfolded like a digital hurricane. In just a few days, Oasis had gone from complete mystery to the hottest mystery the world had ever seen.
The spark?
A single photo.
Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, lying comfortably on a luxurious sofa. On his wrist: a sleek black bracelet that glowed faintly, casting a soft halo of light across his relaxed frame.
No one knew when the photo was taken.
No one knew who had leaked it.
But that didn't matter.
Because the expression on Tony's face—equal parts satisfaction and intoxicated contentment—told the whole story.
The genius billionaire was hooked.
Accompanying the image were headlines filled with speculation, mystery, and clickbait. Articles cropped up across every platform, fueling a wave of public obsession. The name of the game wasn't even mentioned.
Not a single leak. Not one detail.
No one had heard the word "Oasis."
And that was exactly how Joseph wanted it.
Speculation ran wild.
"Oh my god, Tony Stark addicted to a game? He's the last guy I'd expect!"
"Is the reason for his fight with Colonel Rhodes because Rhodes tried to force him off his gaming binge?"
"Unreal. The man used to throw parties like they were oxygen. And now… he won't even leave his house?"
"What kind of game is this?! Something that beats luxury, women, and power?!"
"And how come there's no one else playing it? Is it seriously a game for people worth 90 billion or more?"
"Aliens must've built it. What if this is how Tony became a genius in the first place?"
"I NEED to see it. How is it even played? No headset, no monitor? Just a bracelet? Come on!"
"It better come with AR glasses or at least a neural link—this can't be real!"
As the hours ticked by, curiosity morphed into obsession. Theories emerged. Streamers offered bounties for information. Hacker groups tried to trace the photo source. Even mainstream media outlets joined the frenzy.
What was Iron Man playing?
And why was no one else invited?
It was marketing gold. And Joseph, watching from the shadows, played the long game like a maestro conducting an orchestra.
In the Stark Tower CEO office, Shadowcat's fingers danced across the virtual keyboard as holographic posts, comments, and engagement metrics floated in midair.
She turned to Joseph, eyes wide with awe. "I get it now… I really get it. This is why you picked Tony Stark as Chief Experience Officer."
Joseph stood at the edge of the room, staring out through the floor-to-ceiling glass at the amber sunset over Manhattan.
He didn't need to look back to answer. "It's obvious."
Tony Stark wasn't just famous. He was the news. A walking headline. A breathing publicity engine. Scandals, breakthroughs, quotes—his every move was broadcasted globally within minutes.
Jubilation Lee laughed from the couch. "I wonder what Tony's face will look like once he comes out of his lab and sees the chaos we started."
Joseph finally turned, raising an eyebrow. "He signed the contract. Publicity is part of the job description."
"Still," Shadowcat chuckled, "I don't think he expected we'd kick off the campaign with that photo."
Laughter bubbled around the room. But then Shadowcat's expression turned more serious.
"Should we really keep everything about Oasis a secret? The hype is exploding, but no one even knows what they're hyped about."
Joseph shook his head. "Not yet."
He stepped forward, resting a hand on the table.
"This is just the first wave. The goal is curiosity. The longer we keep people guessing, the stronger the demand becomes. The more mysterious Oasis is, the more everyone wants it."
It was classic hunger marketing—create desire by withholding supply.
Phase one: Build hype.
Phase two: Spark speculation.
Phase three: Unleash the product and watch the world chase it like starving dogs.
"Our goal," Joseph said quietly, "is to get the entire world playing Oasis. And this is how it starts."
Shadowcat and Jubilation Lee exchanged a glance… then nodded.
They were all in.
...
But while the public buzzed with memes and madness, someone else was watching.
S.H.I.E.L.D. Headquarters.
Director Nick Fury sat behind his desk, a thick stack of intel reports laid out in front of him. Each one had the same keywords: Tony Stark, withdrawal, lab isolation, mystery device, black bracelet.
He pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaled, and turned to Agent Phil Coulson.
"What's your take, Coulson?"
Phil adjusted his tie. "Well, sir… based on the timeline, the last confirmed public appearance of Mr. Stark was nearly two weeks ago. Since then, he's disappeared from parties, events, even board meetings."
Fury frowned. "And?"
"And now the internet is convinced he's given up everything to play a game."
Nick Fury slammed a hand on the reports. "Stark. The man who created a weapons-grade power suit in a cave. That Stark is addicted to a video game?"
"Maybe it's more than a game."
Fury raised a brow.
Phil cleared his throat. "If I may speculate, sir… perhaps he believes he's dying. Our last intel indicated that the palladium core in his chest reactor is poisoning him. Maybe he's decided to enjoy his last days doing something… uncharacteristically peaceful."
Fury leaned back, unconvinced. "I could believe that if we were talking about booze and models. But gaming?"
He wasn't buying it.
"And what does Natasha say?"
"Romanoff reports that Stark's been locked in the penthouse lab 24/7. No contact with Pepper, no suit tests, no external communications. Just... working."
Fury's gaze sharpened. "Half a month without his armor. Half a month without headlines. That's not Stark. That's strategy."
He tapped his fingers against the wood, each strike echoing with suspicion.
Finally, he muttered, "Get me Romanoff. It's time Tony knew what his father left behind. Tell her it's time we talk about the element Howard Stark discovered decades ago."
Phil's eyes widened. "Now? You've been sitting on that file for years!"
"I know," Fury growled. "I was waiting for the right moment. The more desperate Tony became, the more powerful the reveal. Charcoal in the snow, not icing on the cake."
"But if you tell him now, it won't have the same impact."
"I don't care," Fury said, standing up. "Something's changed. I have a bad feeling about this. If we wait any longer, we might not be part of the conversation at all."
Phil nodded slowly, then left the room to contact Romanoff.
...
Hours later, the call finally went through.
Using Pepper Potts as an intermediary, S.H.I.E.L.D. reached the elusive Tony Stark.
Tony's voice on the line was unusually brisk—and uncharacteristically smug.
"I already figured out the new element."
There was a long pause.
Then a quiet click as the line went dead.
Nick Fury was left frozen in place, one eye twitching ever so slightly.
He had waited too long.
The leverage he spent months preparing was gone.
The bait he never cast had vanished.
The intel he wanted to use as a lifeline... had no value anymore.
All he could do was stare at the dead call screen and mutter one line through gritted teeth:
"The boiled duck... flew away."
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