After calming Tony down, John took a look around and noticed that some of the others had confused expressions.
"So much for the secret identity," John chuckled.
Taking off his hood, John's face became clear to everyone. Some were surprised, while others, like Fury, had an expression that seemed to say, I knew it.
"So he already suspected it, huh... figures," John muttered to himself.
"Cough, cough... it's been a long time, everyone." After coughing to hide his embarrassment, John waved his hand and spoke with a sheepish smile.
"So our little John Stark is the great Arcanist, huh? Didn't see that coming," Fury said sarcastically.
"Hehe..." John laughed awkwardly.
"I knew that already," Thor added matter-of-factly.
"Where have you been all this time?" Tony asked after realizing he'd unintentionally blown his brother's cover.
"Well, very far away," John said as he made his way inside the house. "And after coming back, I know what's going on with all of you. And that, I can say, isn't too difficult to solve. But we'll talk about it later. First, now that everyone's here, I want to share something else with you."
Hearing this, everyone was surprised. But Fury didn't stay silent.
"You're saying that Ultron is a small problem? And that you can get rid of it anytime you want? Did I hear you right?"
John turned to look at Fury, who was eyeing him like he was trying to bore a hole through him with his single eye.
"If it had been three months ago, it would've been problematic… but now..." John spoke as he walked toward Fury, stopping right in front of him. "Let me show you something interesting."
Before Fury could react, John raised his palm toward Fury's damaged eye and murmured:
"Recovery."
A second later, Fury — who was about to swat John's hand away — suddenly froze. An amazed expression appeared on his face.
"Impossible..."
Removing his eye patch, Fury stared at his hand in astonishment before touching his now fully healed eye.
John smirked at Fury's stunned expression and spoke again.
"If that's not enough, how about this?"
Snapping his fingers, John waited for everyone's reaction.
At first, no one noticed anything amiss. But suddenly, a cry of surprise broke the silence.
Everyone turned toward the sound — it was none other than Hawkeye's wife, Laura, standing frozen in shock.
"What's wrong?" Tony asked, looking around in confusion.
Then they saw it — the house had changed.
The once modest home had transformed into a structure the size of a football field. The wooden walls stretched far and wide, and the ceiling loomed high like that of a royal hall. Furniture that once cluttered the room now seemed perfectly spaced in the vast interior. Even the humble fireplace, once tucked in the corner, now looked like the centerpiece of a grand chamber.
The Avengers — no strangers to bizarre events — still found themselves speechless. Even Thor, who had seen the wonders of Asgard, seemed stunned.
"By Odin's beard…" Thor muttered. "This is beyond incredible."
Tony's fingers twitched slightly as if trying to piece together some scientific explanation.
"This… this isn't just magic, is it?" Tony's voice faltered. "You're manipulating space itself?"
John chuckled lightly, though his smile faltered for a second. Half of his energy reserves had drained in an instant, but he kept his composure.
"Well," John shrugged, "it's just advanced space manipulation." He said it like it was no big deal, but inside he cursed himself for showing off like that.
Before anyone could respond, John snapped his fingers again.
In an instant, the house returned to its original size. The walls folded inward like paper, shrinking back to normal. The familiar coziness of the room returned.
"Whoa… just like that?" Tony muttered, still in disbelief.
But before the conversation could continue, Clint — better known as Hawkeye — stepped forward, looking hesitant.
"Uh... John?" His voice carried a hint of urgency. "Could you… maybe expand it again? Not that big, but… just enough to give us a little more room?"
John smiled faintly.
"I can do something better."
Without explaining, John gestured for everyone to follow him outside.
The sky was painted with hues of purple and orange as the sun dipped below the horizon. Standing before the house, John raised his right hand, his fingers glowing faintly with energy. Strange symbols began forming beneath his feet, spreading out like cracks across the earth. The glowing runes formed a perfect circle around the house. With a flick of his wrist, John completed the formation, and a shimmering dome of faint light enveloped the entire building.
"What's this?" Clint asked, instinctively reaching for his bow.
"It's called a Space Expansion Enchantment combined with a Blood Pact," John explained. "It expands the interior without changing the house's outer appearance. More importantly..." John turned to Clint and his family. "This place will now be one of the safest locations on Earth. Only you and your family can enter freely. Others can only enter if one of you allows them inside."
"A blood pact?" Laura asked nervously.
"It's simple," John reassured her. "All you have to do is place a drop of your blood on this circle. It'll link you to the enchantment, marking you as the rightful owners of the house. Without that mark, no one can enter — not even me."
Clint glanced at his wife, who nodded slowly. One by one, Clint, Laura, and their children stepped forward, pricking their fingers and letting a drop of blood fall onto the glowing circle. Each drop sizzled briefly before vanishing, absorbed by the formation. The golden dome flickered once before stabilizing, becoming almost invisible.
"It's done." John smiled faintly. "This place is now your fortress — safe from intruders, attacks, or even natural disasters."
For a moment, silence filled the air — not from disbelief this time, but from gratitude and relief.
Laura stepped forward and placed a hand on John's arm.
"Thank you," she said softly, her eyes filled with sincerity.
Clint's face remained serious, but his voice held rare warmth.
"Yeah… thanks, John. I mean it."
The other Avengers, still processing everything, exchanged stunned glances.
"Well," Tony muttered with a smirk, "I guess we know who to call when we need some serious home improvement."
Natasha chuckled softly at Tony's attempt to lighten the mood, while Thor crossed his arms and nodded approvingly.
"You continue to impress me, John Stark."
Even Fury, still adjusting to the fact that his once-damaged eye was now fully healed, couldn't help but let out a short breath.
"You're full of surprises," he muttered.
John smiled faintly, but beneath that smile was exhaustion. His legs felt heavy, and his mind buzzed with fatigue. He knew he had pushed himself harder than intended — but seeing their reactions made it worth it.
"Alright," John said, forcing some energy back into his voice. "Now that we've got this settled... let's talk about what I had to say."
With those words, the tension shifted from awe to focus, and the Avengers gathered closer.