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  Sitting in the dimly lit offiero leaned ba his chair, his eyes fixed on the rge s mounted on the wall. The familiar drone of the news anchor’s voice filled the room as the rest of the crew gathered around, some sitting, others standing, all equally engrossed in the broadcast. The anchor’s serious expression matched the gravity of the story as he spoke.

  “...and in breaking news, billionaire industrialist Tony Stark has gone missing after a ons demonstration in Afghanistan. Initial reports suggest that Stark’s voy was ambushed by an unknown militant group. Details remain scarce at this time, but authorities are dug a thh seard rescue operation. Stark Industries has yet to release an official statement.”

  Nero’s gaze narrowed slightly as the image of Tony Stark’s smiling face fshed across the s—a promotional photo from happier times, before the world had been turned upside down for the genius pyboy. He felt the weight of the moment, even as the anoved on to less pressing matters, and the chatter in the office began to stir back to life.

  "So, that's how it begins." Sofia’s voice cut through the silence, her eyes still fixed on the s. She sounded more curious than ed, a slight smirk pying on her lips. “Wonder what kind of cave he’s stu?”

  “Wherever it is, I doubt he’s sitting around twiddling his thumbs,” Nero responded, his tone calm but with a hint of amusement. “He’s resourceful. If anyone get out of that situation, it’s Stark.”

  “Yeah, but he’s still just a guy with a fancy brain and deep pockets,” Diego chimed in from his spot on the couch. “You think he’s already started pieg together his way out, or is he too busy having a panic attack?”

  Nero gave a small shrug, leaning forward aing his elbows on his knees. "He’ll e back as Iron Man, don’t worry."

  The room fell into a brief silence as everyone processed Nero's words. They all knew he was usually right about these things, but still, the idea of someone like Tony Stark—brilliant, yes, but still just a man—surviving something like this and ing out of it stronger was hard to imagine.

  Sofia broke the silence first, her toeasing. "So, you’re calling it already, huh? No ce he stays broken?”

  Nero smirked, his gaze still fixed on the s. “Stark’s too stubborn to stay down. The guy’s ego alone will drag him out of whatever hellhole he’s in.”

  Diego chuckled from his spot on the couch, shaking his head. "Man, if I had half his fidence, I’d probably be a billiooo."

  “fidence is ohing," Nero replied, his voice thoughtful, "but Stark’s got the brains to back it up. That’s the difference.”

  Diego leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest. “Yeah, but does he have the grit? It’s ohing to build ons in a high-tech b with all the resources at your fiips. It’s ao do it in the middle of a desert with nothing but scraps.”

  Nero’s eyes flicked over to Diego, a hint of amusement in his gaze. “That’s exactly why he’ll make it out. y breeds iion. And Stark? He’s a guy who thrives under pressure.”

  Sofia leaned against the wall, her arms crossed, watg Nero closely. “You think this’ll ge him?”

  Nero nodded slightly. “It has to. You don’t gh something like this and e out the same oher side. But whether that ge is for better or worse... we’ll have to wait and see.”

  The room went quiet again, the weight of the situation sinking in. Tony Stark wasn’t just any billionaire pyboy—he was a symbol of innovation and power, someone who could shape the world if he chose to. And now, he was in a position that could either break him or turn him into somethiirely new.

  Donald, who had been quietly the versation, finally spoke up, his voice calm and measured. "If he does survive this, the trauma alone could push him in any dire. He’ll have to recile with a lot of things—what he’s done, what he’s created. That kind of introspe lead to either redemption or a downward spiral.”

  Nero g Donald, appreciating his input. “True. But knowing Stark, he’ll use it as fuel. The man’s always been driven, and now he’s got something personal to fight for.”

  Diego raised an eyebrow. "And if he doesn't make it out?"

  Nero leaned ba his chair, his expression unreadable. "Then the world loses one of its brightest minds. But I wouldn’t bet against him. Not yet."

  Sofia, always the oo lighten the mood, couldn’t resist a grin. “So, you’re saying we should start pg bets on his survival?”

  Nero chuckled, the glint in his eyes unmistakable. “No, Sofia, this isn’t about bets. It’s time to i in Stark Industries. The stocks are going to plummet faster than a rock dropped off a cliff in the week of his absence. But when Stark reappears, those stocks are going to sht back up, and then some. There’ll be another dip when he announces his pns to pull out of the arms business, but trust me, they’ll skyrocket again once he steps out as Iron Man.”

  The crew shifted their attention fully to Nero, uanding that this was more than just casual versation. It n.

  Diego sat up straighter, his easygoing demeaniving way to focus. “You’re serious about this.”

  “Dead serious,” Nero replied, his tone firm. “This is an opportunity we ’t miss. The returns won’t be instant, but having shares in Stark will be worth it in the long run. Diego, we need liquid money. Borrow from your tacts, me the clubs, whatever it takes. The more capital we gather, the better.”

  Diego nodded, already running the numbers in his head. “I pull some strings, but it’s going to be tight. Ming the clubs is risky.”

  “Calcuted risk,” Nero tered, leaning forward. “When Stark announces he’s stepping away from ons, the world’s going to be in shock. The market will react, and that’s wherike again. We buy in when everyone else is panig. And when he finally unveils Iron Man... well, that’s when we cash in.”

  Sofia pushed off the wall, clearly intrigued. “You think Stark’s really going to go public with Iron Man that quickly?”

  Nero nodded, his voice steady. “He’ll have to. Stark doesn’t do anything halfway. He’ll make a statement, ohat the world ’t ignore. And when he does, Stark Industries is going to bee somethiirely he old guard will hate it, but the future? The future will be built on his tech.”

  Donald spoke up. “And if something goes wrong? If Stark doesn’t e back, or if the p pan out the way you’re expeg?”

  Nero met Donald’s gaze, his expression unfling. “Then we’ll adapt. But I don’t pn for failure. Stark is ing back, and when he does, the world is going to ge. We’re just making sure we’re ahead of the curve.”

  Donald nodded, satisfied with the answer. “Alright."

  Nero shifted his attention to Sofia, his eyes sharpening with a focused i. "What’s the status on General Ross? The gamma experiments should be well underway by now."

  Sofia didn’t miss a beat, pulling out her phone and quickly scrolling through her files. "Ross is keeping it under s for now, but I’ve got a few breadcrumbs. Nothing too solid yet, but the pieces are ing together."

  Nero nodded. "Good. When Banner iably turns into the Hulk, I want those experiments to be publiowledge. Ross thinks he py God without sequences—let's make sure the world sees his hand in it."

  Sofia looked up from her phone, smirking. "So, when the big green guy smashes through a city, we make sure Ross is front aer in the bme game?"

  "Exactly," Nero replied, his tone cold and calcuted. "We leak the data at the perfeent—right when the destru hits. The media will eat it up. Ross will scramble, try to cover it up, but the damage will be done. People will see him for what he is—a reckless fo to onize something he doesn't uand."

  Sofia nodded, already mentally cataloging the steps. "I’ll keep digging. Wheime es, we'll have everything ready to expose him."

  "Make sure you have backups in pce," Nero added. "Ross isn’t the type to go down without a fight. He’ll try to bury any evidehat points ba, so we need multiple tingencies."

  Sofia fshed a fident grin. "Don't worry, Nero. I've got enough redundao drive Ross mad."

  Diego chimed in, his usual casual demeanor repced by a more serious tone. "And what about Banner? Wheurns, it’s going to be chaos. How do we make sure i people are not caught in the crossfire?"

  Nero answered Diego's with a calm smile, "Neogenes will be there to stop him and expose Ross. Last time, when we leaked the illegal human experiments, it set the stage. This time, Neogenes will step up as heroes. It'll shift the narrative and bury Ross food. Public opinion is already teetering; we just o give it a push."

  Diego nodded slowly, digesting the pn. Reizing the weight of the situation.

  Anthony rolled the pn with a mutter, “We’ll trol the narrative. The Neogenes will be seen as saviors, a force to ter the chaos Banner will bring. Ross? He’ll be the vilin. The one who tried to py God and failed spectacurly.”

  Nero leaned ba his chair, eyes sing the room as if daring ao challehe pn. But no one did. They all knew how these things worked.

  Maria’s voice cut through the quiet hum of versation. “Will Iron Man appear before the Hulk?”

  Nero shook his head, sidering the timeline. “I’m not certain. Stark’s transformation into Iron Man could e before or after Banner’s i. Timing is tricky with things like this. But ohing’s clear—we ’t let Stark steal the spotlight.”

  He leaned forward, tapping a finger on the armrest. “Our priority is building up the Neogenes, establishing them as the heroes the world needs. Stark’s return will be fshy, no doubt. The media will eat it up. But we o make sure that when the chaos hits, it's Neogenes who are there to up the mess, not Stark.”

  Maria nodded, uanding the subtle bance of timing. “And if Stark makes his move first?”

  “Then we will stop him,” Nero replied, his voice steady. “Stark’s emergence as Iron Man will grab attention, but it doesn’t ge our objective. Neogenes still rise as the terforce to Banner’s destru. Stark’s tech will be impressive, but when people see Neogeaking down the Hulk—proteg civilians, stopping the rampage—that’s what will stick.”

  Diego spoke up again, more curious than ed. “And if Stark tries to involve himself with the Hulk situation? You think he’d jump in?”

  Nered, unfazed by the possibility. “If he does, we use it. Stark’s not our enemy. Let him have his moment if it es to that. But we’ll make sure it’s the Neogenes who get the credit for taining the real threat.”

  Donald added, “Stark might not stay ral if he senses something off about the whole situation. He’s a quick study.”

  Nero aowledged the point with a nod. “True, but Stark’s focus will be on his own path. He’ll have his hands full adjusting to his new identity, trying to reshape his pany and deal with the backsh from pulling out of ons. As long as we stay a few steps ahead, we guide the narrative.”

  Sofia, tapping her fingers against her phone, chimed in, “And if he does get curious about Neogenes? You think he’ll try to dig into us?”

  Nero’s gaze shifted to Sofia. “Stark try to dig into the Neogenes, which are extensions of Xavier's mutants and Mago's Homo Superiors, but he won’t get far. Angel, Xavier, and Mago won’t let him get too close. Stark may be brilliant, but Angel’s resources match his, if not exceed them, and Mago’s far more dangerous than Stark imagine.”

  Sofia arched an eyebrow, intrigued. “You really think Mago would go after Stark if he got too nosy?”

  Nero chuckled, "An iron suit that gives powers? To Mago, it’s like a dy shop. Stark wouldn’t stand a ce if he caught Mago’s attention."

  Sofia grinned, leaning against the desk, "You’re picturing Stark getting tossed around like a ragdoll, aren’t you?"

  Nero nodded with a smirk, "Hard not to. Stark might be a genius, but Mago… he’s something else entirely. Stark’s not equipped for that level of power. Not yet."

  Diego, shifting slightly in his seat, added, "So we just make sure Stark keeps his focus on his own problems. Let him deal with his ted his PR mess. We stay uhe radar until it’s time."

  "Exactly," Nero said, his tone firm. "We let Stark do his thing. If he gets too curious, we steer him away. But for now, our focus stays on Ross and the Hulk."

  Donald crossed his arms and asked, "What about the military? Ross won’t just let Banner slip through his fingers. They’ll be all over the pce Baransforms."

  Nero sidered that for a moment before responding, "We leverage the chaos. When Baurns, the military will be in disarray, trying to tain him. That’s when Neogeep in and show the world who’s really in trol. We make sure it’s clear that Ross’s obsession with gamma energy led to this mess."

  Diego nodded in agreement, "And while everyone’s focused on the destru, we quietly take what we need. Ross won’t know what hit him."

  Nero smiled at Diego’s uanding, "Exactly. We strike wheiming’s right—when Ross is too busy c his own ass to see us ing."

  Sofia gnced up. "What about the media? They’ll spin this however they want. We ’t trol every narrative."

  Nero smiled, his eyes sharp with anticipation. “That’s where the apps you’re w on es in.”

  Sofia’s grin widened as she grabbed her ptop and tur around to face the others. “Let me introduce you to the future of social media—Squawk, Faote, and Instaroll.” She clicked through the ss, each showg sleek interfaces that were remi of something familiar, yet distinctly different. “Squawk is all about real-time updates, quick thoughts, and instaions. Faote? It’s the neeople stay ected with their friends and family. And Instaroll—it’s for sharing those moments that need a little more fir.”

  Nero nodded as Sofia presehe apps oop. “We’ve got a couple of months before the real chaos starts. By then, these ptforms o be fully operational. Use y to reinforce the systems—make them unbreakable, unhackable. People will need a way to share what’s really happening, even if the mainstream media tries to bury the truth.”

  He paused, sidering the broader implications. “We don’t o sor anything, but we subtly guide the narrative. If Ross’s experiments go public at the right time, if the Hulk’s rampage is framed the right way… it’ll shift public opinion where we to go.”

  Sofia’s fingers hovered over the keyboard, a grin pying on her lips. “Unbreakable, huh? That’s a tall order, but I like a challenge.”

  Nero leaned ba his chair, watg her with a calm expression. “You’ve do before. Just make sure it’s ready wheime es. These apps are our backdoor into trolling the flow of information. If the news els try to spiory, we’ll have the power to teract that. And more importantly, to influence eople see first.”

  Sofia gave a short nod, already deep in thought as she began tweaking the code oop. The rest of the room was quiet, everyone uanding the weight of the situation.

  Nero’s gaze flicked to Diego. “How soon you secure the funds?”

  Diego looked up, meeting Nero’s eyes with a fident nod. “I’ll start making calls tonight. Shouldn’t take more than a week or two to pull it all together.”

  “Good,” Nero said. “I want us ready to buy in the moment Stark Industries dips. Timing is everything.”

  Donald, who had been quietly , chimed in. “And ohe stocks rise? We cash out immediately, or hold on for a while?”

  apped the table thoughtfully, his eyes sing the room as he spoke. "Cash in at the first peak. Like I said, Stark’s going to make a big annou about pulling out of the ons business. When that happens, the stock will take another dive. That’s when we buy ba."

  Diego nodded, already calg in his head. "Double down on the dip, then ride the wave when he rebrands."

  "Exactly," Nero firmed. "Oark shifts his focus to ted energy, the market will stabilize. That’s when we hold long-term. Stark Industries will redefiself, and the world will take notice."

  Sofia gnced up from her ptop, a curious glint in her eye. "You think he’ll go full-on savior mode?"

  Nero smirked. "He’ll try. Guilt’s a strong motivator. He’s going to spend the rest of his life making up for what his ons have done. And that kind of redemption arc? People eat it up."

  With the pn id out and each member clear on their roles, Nero dismissed the group. The room emptied quickly. Satisfied, Nero shifted his focus and summoned L and Light. The two arrived quietly, standing side by side but maintaining a distinct distance as if they had nothing to do with one another. L, wearing slippers as always, had his hands stuffed into his pockets, his posture a familiar slouch. Light stood tall and posed, his expression calm but his eyes sharp, assessing everything with that calg mind of his.

  Nero let the silence hang for a moment, studying the two. They were both brilliant in their own ways, but their differences were what intrigued him the most. Where L operated in shadows, tent to observe and unravel mysteries from behind the ses, Light was driven by a hunger for power and trol. It was a dangerous bination—but ohat Nero inteo harness.

  "I’ve decided your roles," Nero said, breaking the silence. He saw Light's eyes narrow slightly, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his face, but the young man said nothing.

  L, oher hand, tilted his head ever so slightly, his expression as bnk as ever. "And what do you need from us?" he asked, his voice low, almost detached.

  Nero smiled faintly, reizing the subtle challenge in L's question. “Simple, really. L, you’ll remain on the side of light.” He paused, amused by the double meaning. “tinue doing what you do best—solve mysteries, expose truths. You be as secretive as you want or py the hero this time. Just don’t hide your intellect. I eople to know there’s someone sharp out there, keeping them safe, even if they don’t see you.”

  L’s expression didn’t ge, but Nero could see the gears turning behind those dark eyes. The detective would py his part well, as always.

  hen shifted his attention to Light. “As for you, Light, you’ll be a vilin once again. But let’s set some ground rules.” His voice took on a steely edge. “N is—directly or ily. If your as cause harm to those who don’t deserve it, there will be sequences. And believe me, I won’t be nice about it.”

  Light's eyes narrowed, his pride bristling at the straint, but he remained silent, knowier than tue. The challerigued him, and Nero could see it—a spark of ambition that ruly faded. He’d find a way to bend the rules without breaking them, just to see if he could.

  “I know how calg you be, Light,” Nero tinued, his gaze sharp. “That’s why I’m making this clear now. Test me, and you won’t like the oute.”

  Light’s lips pressed into a thin line, but he nodded, a silent aowledgment that he uood. The tensioween them alpable, but Nero k was necessary. Light needed boundaries, or his ambition would e everything in its path.

  “Remember,” Nero added, his tone softening slightly, “this isn’t just about you. Py your part, and you’ll get the reition you crave. Fail to follow the rules, and you’ll find yourself with nothing.”

  With that, Nero leaned ba his chair, the versation seemingly over. He studied both men for a moment lohen dismissed them with a casual wave of his hand.

  “Go. Do what you o do. And don’t disappoint me.”

  L nodded and vanished into the shadows as easily as he’d appeared, his presence leaving a quiet void in the room. Light lingered a moment longer, his eyes still locked on Nero’s, as if measuring him, before he finally turned and walked away, his footsteps barely audible against the floor.

  Nero watched as Light's figure disappeared down the hall, leaving the room in a heavy silence. His fingers drummed lightly on the armrest of his chair as he sidered the moves. He spoke softly to the empty room, a faint smirk tugging at the er of his lips.

  "Illuminati and Cabal. Those two should fit perfectly."

  The words hung in the air, carrying the weight of a pn already set in motion. Like most of his summons, L and Light weren’t just pawns—though they might have started that way. They were more like knights in a game where every move had to be calcuted, precise. Infiltrators. Sleeper agents. Their roles would be pivotal in shaping the world as Nero envisio.

  He leaned ba his chair, letting the thoughts flow freely now that he was alone. L would slip into the shadows, weaving himself into the Illuminati, a group that thrived on secred manipution. They’d never see him ing, and by the time they did, he’d be too deeply embedded for them to do anything about it. He’d uheir secrets, feed he information he o bend them to his will. And all the while, L would think he was simply solving another puzzle, another mystery. A perfect fit.

  Light, oher hand, would be more overt. The Cabal would suit his ego, his ambition. A colle of the world’s most dangerous and iial individuals, all vying for pht would feel right at home. But he’d also serve as a trolled burn, a fme that Nero could ignite and snuff out as needed. Light would push the boundaries, challehe others, and in doing so, reveal their weaknesses. But he’d always stay just within the lines Nero had drawn for him, knowing that stepping too far would mean sequences he wasn’t prepared to face.

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