The conference room at the top of Avengers Tower.
The air was so quiet you could wring water out of it; a suffocating atmosphere enveloped everyone present.
A video is playing on a loop on the holographic projection in the center of the conference table.
In the scene, Morgan Stark is holding Spider Tuotuo and sitting on the edge of a high-rise building with Peter Parker in his suit, and there is a man in a hoodie next to them.
One second they were arguing about what to have for lunch, the next second, the whole scene was like a pebble thrown into water, creating a barely perceptible ripple, and then the three of them just vanished into thin air.
Silently, without any warning.
Tony Stark said nothing, but his right index and middle fingers began tapping the smooth surface of the conference table in an irregular, yet increasingly rapid, manner.
"Tap... tap tap... tap tap tap..."
The sound wasn't loud, but it struck like a drumbeat in everyone's heart.
He glanced at Vision standing beside him, his voice devoid of emotion. "How long have they been gone?"
Vision's mechanical body leaned slightly forward, his tone as steady as ever, yet all the more chilling.
"The exact time since the communication channel was lost is 23 hours and 47 minutes. I rushed to the scene as soon as the anomaly was detected, but we couldn't find any trace of spatial transfer or any residual energy."
Everyone present knew that Tony Stark was currently on the verge of a dangerously intense rage.
The last time he showed this expression was when Ego, the living planet, almost harmed Morgan with his energy clone.
The outcome of that incident was that an enraged Tony, wearing his fifth-generation Anti-Celestial Armor, blasted the self-proclaimed Celestial planet into cosmic dust.
The situation is now even worse than it was before.
Morgan vanished without a trace, along with Peter Parker, whom he treated like his own son.
Captain America Steve Rogers, looked at his old friend, his handsome face filled with worry.
He spoke, trying to break the suffocating silence. " Tony, calm down. Have you contacted Thor in Frost City in the Knowhere? Valeria and her people's technology might provide some clues."
"No, Captain."
It was Wanda Maximoff who spoke.
She was wearing a red robe of the Sorcerer Supreme.
"I just spoke with Valeria, and they can't track Morgan and the others either. That power is very strange; it has traces of magic, but it's also mixed with some kind of technology we've never seen before, as if someone deliberately erased everything."
She paused, then added, "However, Thor is back, and he should be here soon."
"Despair."
Tony's fingers, which were tapping on the table, suddenly stopped.
He slowly raised his head and looked around at the superheroes in the conference room.
Black Widow Natasha, Hawkeye Clinton, Dr. Banner, Mighty Thor Jane (Thor)... everyone's face was solemn.
"I've been thinking about something," Tony's voice was soft, yet carried a metallic quality, "Do you think my methods have been too lenient all along?"
He twitched the corners of his mouth, revealing a smile that wasn't really a smile.
"So much so that these Joker pop out of who-knows-where dare to repeatedly and recklessly trample on my bottom line."
"Damn it! Do they think this will satisfy their despicable, shameful, vain, and pathetic sense of self-esteem?"
No one responded.
At times like these, nobody wants to provoke Iron Man.
Moreover, this is Tony Stark, who is proficient in both technology and magic, and is extremely skilled in both.
Even without armor, he can give most enemies a headache with magic alone. Once he puts on those highly specialized armors, his combat power can even surpass some of the top experts present.
The heroes present were also harboring a burning anger within them.
This incident served as a wake-up call for all of them.
If the other side could kidnap Tony Stark's daughter so quietly, what about their own families?
Clinton thought of his wife and children, Banner thought of Betty, Steve even had a vision of Peggy Carter from another universe in his mind.
What if one day they have children too?
While not everyone agrees with Tony's ruthless approach of "humanely destroying" criminals, at this moment, when they put themselves in Tony's shoes, they realize that if their own loved ones faced such a crisis, they would absolutely not let the mastermind get away with it if they had the ability.
After all, how can you guard against thieves for a thousand days?
Even Captain America, who is usually regarded as a moral exemplar, remained unusually silent at this moment.
He completely understood Tony's feelings; when loved ones are in danger one after another, no one can remain absolutely rational and calm.
Tony didn't look at the crowd anymore; he turned his head to face the empty direction.
JARVIS.
"Yes, sir."
"Activate the ' Multiverse Resonator ' and turn the entire multiverse upside down. Based on the magical beacons and biometric codes I left in Morgan and Peter's armors, search for their energy fluctuations. Don't miss any similar magical auras or spatial frequencies."
"Okay, sir. The Multiverse Resonator is being activated."
As JARVIS responded, the metal dome of the rooftop at the top of Avengers Tower slowly cracked open, revealing a gigantic instrument with an extremely complex structure, covered with countless runes and energy channels, which was rapidly assembled by the mechanical arms.
"Buzz--"
An invisible energy ripple spread out from the instrument in an instant, penetrating the dimensions of reality and probing into the endless multiverse.
Tony looked at the rapidly refreshing data stream on the holographic screen, but he wasn't entirely confident.
This device was the product of a long discussion between him, Dr. Banner, and Valeria, and was designed to prevent situations like today's.
He left a double mark on Morgan and Peter's nanosuits using Kamar-Taj magic and his own cutting-edge technology.
In theory, as long as they still exist in some universe, this instrument can detect a trace of them.
Time passed second by second.
The conference room remained deathly silent, with only the faint sound of data streaming.
Ten minutes later, just as everyone was about to lose patience, JARVIS's voice suddenly rang out, carrying a hint of barely perceptible excitement.
"Sir! A similar aura has been detected!"
Tony jumped to his feet, his eyes fixed on the screen.
"The other party is currently located in a branch universe of our universe, Universe 199999! However, due to the sheer number of branch universes, the signal source is extremely weak, and we will need some time to pinpoint its exact location!"
Tony's brow, which had been furrowed all day, finally relaxed.
That's good.
As long as he's still in the multiverse, he can bring people back.
He turned around and looked at his companions in the conference room again. The chilling aura on his face gradually faded, replaced by a cold and sharp determination.
"Alright," he began, his voice eerily calm, "This is a personal matter."
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the faces of Captain America, Banner, Wanda, and the others, a dangerous smile playing on his lips.
"So... who are the people who want to attend this doomsday party?"