Chapter 314: Chapter 314: The Enemy at the Door and a Dying Friend!
"Jarvis, calculate the energy data! See how many times my new reactor can release such attacks, and what's the power like?" Tony Stark, looking more haggard and significantly thinner than before, had no intention of resting. He was excitedly instructing as he observed his brand-new armor.
"The new Ark reactor can release three nuclear-level attacks, each attack's power equivalent to that of Little Boy..." Jarvis quickly provided the data, "However, due to the more concentrated energy release, the power will be increased to the explosive yield of Fat Man. Of course, there are drawbacks; because the energy is purer, the impact area will be smaller, and there will be no residual radiation causing secondary damage!"
"Is that a drawback? That's absolutely a benefit! Wasn't the power released by that Saiyan guy similar to this non-radiative state? As for a smaller impact area, even better. I'm not looking to cause destruction; hitting the target is all that matters..." Tony Stark finally relaxed, his spirit collapsing almost causing him to slump to the ground. Fortunately, Jarvis had anticipated Tony's reaction, and several mechanical devices immediately supported his body, preventing him from falling.
"Sir, your current condition is extremely poor. I recommend you rest now. Based on diagnostics, not only is your physical state bad, but your brain also needs to divert attention and relax..." A beam of light converged on Tony Stark, instantly scanning his entire body condition.
"The recovery serum we developed earlier is ready. Would you like to inject it now or later?"
"Now...ow!!!" Tony had just begun to respond when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his neck, followed by a gradual relaxation of his body and a blurring of his consciousness. A wave of drowsiness overwhelmed him, and despite resisting the urge to sleep, he managed to say irritably, "Jarvis, when I wake up, I'm going to reformat you!"
"I hope you remember that after you wake up, sir, as you've said it many times before..." Jarvis didn't react much but began arranging relaxing activities for Tony after he would wake up, "Sir, would you like to go bungee jumping with Miss Potts, or watch a car race, or visit a haunted house in an amusement park?"
"zzZ..." Tony didn't respond because he had already fallen asleep. It must be said, the recovery serum Tony developed was indeed effective; visibly, his complexion improved while he slept.
Of course, it was precisely because of such a serum that Tony could exhaust himself without worrying about his body collapsing.
"Hmm..." After an unknown period, Tony slowly woke up. He felt relaxed and was about to get up when he found a hand supporting him.
"Aren't you planning to sleep a bit longer?" Pepper looked at Tony and asked softly, "Jarvis mentioned that your physical condition isn't too good..."
"Cut it out! How is that possible?! I'm in great shape! Just last night I..." Tony couldn't possibly admit to Pepper that he was in poor health and instinctively retorted.
"Hmm?!" Pepper narrowed her eyes at Tony. Although she had been cleaning up after Tony's escapades with various female stars and models in the past, now that Pepper had been officially recognized, her status had changed. The past was definitely not something Tony could mention now, nor could he engage in such activities!
"Cough cough, Jarvis, arrange for Pepper and me to have a day out..." Tony coughed twice, wisely changing the subject. It seemed that he had completely forgotten about his earlier threat to reformat Jarvis.
"It's all arranged, at the amusement park..." Jarvis's voice quickly responded, "Would you like me to clear the area, sir?"
"Amusement park? Why..." Tony was momentarily confused when he heard about going to the amusement park, then noticed Pepper's expression and quickly changed his statement, "Why clear the area? Do we need to clear our own amusement park? What a joke!"
"We don't have an amusement park..." Pepper said with a smile, somewhat irritated.
"We don't? Impossible! Jarvis, just buy the amusement park we're going to today. There's no need to clear it then, and everyone's expenses are on me today!" Tony grandly declared, showing off his financial power.
Soon, Tony and Pepper left the house. Unbeknownst to Tony, as his sports car drove away from the hilltop villa, a pair of eyes watched menacingly...
This matter was related to Tony's father, Howard Stark. The first generation Ark reactor wasn't solely Howard's creation; he had collaborated with a scientist named Anton Vanko.
However, perhaps due to nationality or some real issues with Anton, he was eventually expelled back to Russia and, after a frustrated career in America, died of illness...
Now, it was Anton's son, Ivan Vanko, who had fixated on Tony. As
he watched his father die without the means for treatment, Tony Stark was gaining fame as the superhero Iron Man.
Ivan felt a sense of injustice as he discovered that the Ark reactor used by Tony was his father's creation. He believed the Stark family were nothing but thieves who had stolen the Vankos' achievements and gained fame dishonestly. Ivan was determined to avenge his family and restore the Vanko name!
For revenge, Ivan went to great lengths and eventually made contact with a businessman named Justin Hammer. Hammer Industries was one of Stark Industries' main competitors, though mostly to inflate their own product prices...
Even though Tony Stark had become Iron Man after being kidnapped, knowing the depths of this world, he only had Ethan and Pepper tighten oversight of the weapons division, not shutting it down.
With the weapons division still in operation and occasionally creating advanced laser weaponry for the military, Stark Industries remained the primary partner for the military. Not only was the Stark Industries brand strong, but Iron Man's brand was also a guarantee of power.
As Stark Industries flourished, Justin Hammer's Hammer Industries fared increasingly worse. His products were essentially cheap imitations of Stark's weaponry, marketed at low prices. But as time went on, the military grew indifferent to cheap weapons.
Losing the military as a major client and with Stark Industries' stock price rising, Hammer Industries' stocks fell continuously. Justin Hammer was always looking for a solution until Ivan contacted him. After seeing the Ark reactor, Justin saw a chance to counter Tony Stark.
Even if Ivan couldn't actually kill Tony Stark, at least the Ark reactor could give Hammer Industries the means to compete with Stark Industries. If they could kill Tony Stark, that would be even better...
At the amusement park, Tony didn't clear the area since it was his property. Why clear it? Plus, it would be disappointing for others to stop their fun midway; Tony didn't want Pepper to be unhappy because of this.
"Phew! Phew! Phew!" Tony was somewhat disheveled, secretly panting but trying not to show it. It wasn't that he had encountered a formidable enemy, but the experience inside the haunted house had frightened him several times. It could be said that the haunted house lived up to its reputation!
"Why hold it in? I heard you scream just now..." Seeing Tony's slightly discomfited look, Pepper's lips curled slightly, and her mood seemed very good, not just because Tony, who didn't play haunted houses, still followed her here, but also because Tony had finally stepped away from his obsession with developing armor. After being scared a few times, Tony's complexion might not look good, but his mental state was indeed better.
"Scream? You must be joking! I'm Iron Man, who fears neither heaven nor hell, nor does he fear facing the demon lord. How could I possibly be afraid of a haunted house?" Tony's pride wouldn't allow him to admit fear, and he firmly shook his head, solemnly declaring.
"Oh, maybe I heard wrong then?" Pepper teased, smiling at Tony without continuing to expose him. After all, Tony was quite concerned about maintaining his image.
"What do you mean maybe you heard wrong? You definitely heard wrong!" Tony raised his head, talking to Pepper when suddenly a voice interrupted him.
"Tony Stark!" An angry voice captured the attention of everyone around. Since the park hadn't been cleared, there were still many people, and many would shout Tony Stark and Iron Man's names, but this time, it was different.
Tony furrowed his brows and looked over, feeling an ominous premonition. He signaled to Happy, who understood and placed one hand inside his jacket, gripping a handgun, warily looking in the direction of the voice.
There, as the voice fell and people regained their senses and moved away, Ivan, who had been hiding in the crowd and was dressed in a long robe, was revealed. Seeing Ivan's attire, Happy decisively pulled out his handgun and sternly said, "Hey! Sir, you better stay right there and don't move, or I won't be nice..."
Truth be told, Happy's role was somewhat awkward. Originally Tony Stark's bodyguard, this role seemed rather ridiculous after Tony became Iron Man. After all, a superhero who could fly and burrow hardly needed a regular human as a bodyguard; it was more like keeping a freeloader.
But this time was different. Tony had just developed a new suit of armor and came out to relax, not even bringing the latest armor, let alone the portable ones, because he now considered the old portable armors as junk and was planning to create a new batch.
Even now, Tony was considering how to maintain the destructive power of the latest armor while maximizing its portability.
With a "swoosh," just as Happy had finally found an opportunity to prove himself and drew his handgun on Ivan, a whip crackling with energy struck Happy's body.
With a "thud," Happy didn't even have time
to react before his handgun was cut in half, and his body was instantly ripped open, flying out and landing bewilderedly on the ground, still not realizing the severity of his injuries, close to death.
"Happy!" Tony's pupils dilated. Officially, Happy was just his bodyguard, but in reality, they were very good friends, and Happy was one of his few close friends!
Seeing Happy thrown, anger flickered in Tony's eyes. He pushed Pepper aside and took several steps forward, fearing Ivan would continue attacking Happy and kill him on the spot.
"The armor is on its way, contacting the Saiyan, he is the most likely to save Happy..." Jarvis's voice rang in Tony's ear, "But it will take time, sir, you must hold on!"
Tony looked at Ivan, who had taken off his hooded robe, revealing a completely unfamiliar face. He didn't know who the man was, but the energy in his hand felt somewhat familiar. Faced with this life-and-death crisis, Tony knew he couldn't afford a single misstep.
"Who exactly are you? Seeking revenge? Or..." With that thought, Tony took a deep breath and asked Ivan sternly.
"You don't even know who I am, yeah, your Stark family are nothing but sanctimonious thieves! You stole the Ark reactor technology, claimed it as your own, and left my father to die in agony. All this vengeance will be yours to bear!" Ivan exploded in rage upon hearing Tony's words. He took off his robe, revealing his external armor and two electrically charged whips, glaring at Tony as he spoke.
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