Chapter 34: friends
Dave nodded thoughtfully at Tony. "I see," he said, though disappointed. "Pity, I really wanted to see if my Devil Arms could also fuse with it," Dave mused.
Tony raised an eyebrow. "Wait, if that's what you're after, maybe there's a way. I could give you one. It changes appearance, right? No one would suspect it's mine."
Dave looked at him seriously. "No, leave it be. Even if the appearance changes, it won't matter much. People would still recognize the resemblance, and the world knows only you can make these suits. They'll come after you."
Tony chuckled, trying to shrug it off. "You're thinking too much about me. I'm Tony Stark, Iron Man—no one's going to touch me." But the look on Dave's face showed he understood the risks.
"Well, in return for not pursuing this, I guess I can ask for something simple—friendship," Dave said, extending his hand.
Tony grinned and shook his hand. "Of course, we're already friends."
With a nod, Dave started to leave. "I've got my own company to run. But practice with the armor, Tony. One day, I want a proper match with you." Dave's voice trailed as he exited the room, leaving Tony and Rhodes exchanging glances.
As Dave walked out, his thoughts raced ahead to his next steps. 'Quest complete'
A smirk playing on his lips as he wondered what quest he will receive next.
***
"Who was he?" Rhodes asked as Dave walked out.
"Someone I befriended... just now," Tony replied with a shrug, though his words sounded unsure.
he didn't know if Dave really wanted to be his friend, but he really want him as his friend 'Maybe, after many enhancement I won't have to worry about the shrapnel's near my heart' he thought.
"You know it's dangerous for you to just trust anyone like that," Rhodes warned. Tony paused, Dave's words from earlier echoing in his mind.
"You're right," Tony admitted after a moment.
Turning to Pepper, Tony added, "Pepper, I need you to dig into Obadiah's dealings. Check his laptop, see what he's hiding."
"I didn't mean that," Rhodes interrupted, concerned about Tony's sudden shift.
"I know," Tony acknowledged, "but Obadiah's been keeping things from me, and I need to know what's going on."
Pepper glanced between the two men, her brow furrowed. "Is it related to what Dave said?" she asked, eyeing Tony.
"Maybe... but there's been other news too," Tony said, his voice tight with suspicion. Pepper nodded, understanding the gravity, and quietly left to begin her search.
"Just call me next time, alright?" Rhodes said with a hint of exasperation. Tony nodded, watching him head out as well.
*****
[ Host Interacted with an Important Character ]
[ Objective: Befriend Tony Stark ]
[ Rewards: Tony-related Questline will open ]
It was the quest Dave received when he met Tony that night. From that point, he began planning how to befriend him. The answer was simple: give Tony something he had never seen before, then help him master it and guide him through the process.
'Though there was an unexpected twist with Ifrit fusing with his suit,' Dave thought as he calmly drove back to his home.
[Quest Update: Befriend Tony Stark Completed]
[New Objective: Investigate Obadiah Stane's Dealings]
[Rewards: Main Tony Quest]
As Dave drove back home, his mind replayed the events of the night. The quest to befriend Tony Stark was complete, but the situation had evolved in unexpected ways. The fusion of Ifrit with Tony's Mark II armor had been an unforeseen twist, but it had certainly caught Tony's attention.
'Giving him something he'd never seen before was key,' Dave thought, feeling satisfied with his approach. 'And helping him through the enhancement process built trust.'
But now, the path forward was even more intriguing. Obadiah Stane's secret dealings were clearly a looming issue, and if Dave could uncover more about it, then next quest will be availle.
'I really wonder what the rewards will be. Maybe the Superior Iron Man template,' Dave thought as he kept driving.
As he drove, he checked his other quests. These were related to Natasha, Fury, and Hawkeye. Each important character had given him a quest, though Fury's was a simple one.
[Fury Quest]
Objective: Help Fury create a true SHIELD for Earth.
Reward: ??
It was a straightforward objective: build a perfect SHIELD without any corruption, ensuring its sole purpose was protecting Earth from interdimensional threats—no hidden agendas, no HYDRA.
'It sounds simple, but it's the most difficult one,' Dave thought as he began to formulate a plan on how to eliminate HYDRA, one piece at a time.
'The first step is clearly getting rid of HYDRA. But for that, I need a new identity,' Dave thought.
He could just continue as Dante and start a killing spree, but it wouldn't help. The problem was that people would connect the dots. Whenever he was missing, it meant Dante was around.
[Dante Template Fusion: 71%]
He looked at the fusion rate and thought, 'Either I have to wait for the next template or summon a different one.'
'Then there's also Kingpin, now turned demon, but everyone knows it's him since Trish decided to make him an Entrance Decoration. Now he's just standing in front of my building like a demonic statue,' Dave mused.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
Dave rhythmically tapped the steering wheel, pondering where he could find a good starting point to begin eliminating HYDRA. Then, he remembered something.
'Winter Soldier,' Dave smiled as he recalled the infamous Winter Soldier. 'Bucky, is it?' he thought.
A plan began to form in his mind.
'Once I secure Bucky, things will fall into place for the Fury quest and my own plans.' His mind shifted back to the Kingpin, now a demon thanks to Trish's intervention. That situation might come to a head soon, but it wasn't a priority right now.
For now, Dave's path was clear: seek out Bucky, weaken Hydra, and, eventually, help Fury build his perfect SHIELD.
He tapped the steering wheel again, feeling the rhythm of his plan come together as he continued his drive back home.
****
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'My Charity System Made me Too OP'
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