Bab 13: Hug a man twice, you have to pay extra
(A/N:-1500+ words)
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After receiving the call, Lieutenant Colonel Rhodes immediately sent a fighter plane to escort Tony back to his country.
Tony was unusually quiet during the flight, a stark contrast to his typical bohemian antics involving champagne, wine, and dancing stewardesses. This ordeal had profoundly affected him. Not only was he physically injured, but seeing his weapons used by violent elements also left him deeply unsettled. He couldn't stop thinking about the mysterious Oriental man—why hadn't he saved him? Was he worried about dying?
There was so much for Tony to ponder.
Back in America, a large number of reporters, having caught wind of the news, swarmed the airport. The kidnapping of a top scientist, billionaire, and playboy by violent elements was sensational news. Everyone wanted the scoop.
When Tony disembarked, Pepper Potts and his friend and bodyguard, Happy Hogan, were already waiting for him.
Pepper, on the verge of tears, rushed forward and hugged Tony tightly, refusing to let go. "I thought I'd never see you again."
Tony shrugged. "I'm back now. Don't cry, or your makeup will get ruined."
Happy, anxious, said, "It's my turn." Seeing Pepper wouldn't let go, he simply dragged his bulky frame into the hug. The three of them embraced, making Tony exclaim, "Ouch!"
Pepper noticed Tony's chest and said in shock, "What's going on? Are you injured? We need to get to a hospital."
Tony replied, "Don't worry, I have more important things to do. Happy, get me a cheeseburger. And arrange a press conference."
---
Reporters were already gathered, so the press conference was arranged quickly.
Tony sat unceremoniously on the floor next to the podium with a cheeseburger in hand.
"Do you know," he began, "the best thing about food isn't the food itself, but the environment. In the past month or so, I ate the best cheeseburgers and Orleans grilled chicken in the world in a cave."
"Now I'm back, eating what should be the best burger, but it doesn't taste even one-tenth as good as the ones in the cave."
"I want to thank the delivery man. He not only brought me the most delicious food but also saved me and my benefactor. Although I don't know his purpose, as long as he isn't destroying the world, I'll do whatever I can to repay him."
There was a sudden buzz as everyone whispered among themselves. What was Tony talking about? A burger and a delivery boy? Did they have the wrong information?
Finally, a reporter couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Stark, with all due respect, were you kidnapped or on vacation?"
Tony replied, "I was indeed kidnapped and imprisoned in a cave for over a month. I was attacked by a bomb, and there are still shrapnel in my chest. I'm now relying on a battery to stay alive."
The room erupted. Speculation had been confirmed. The reporters were shocked. The United States' global hegemony, often involving bombings and assassinations, had offended many, and violent reprisals were a constant threat. Now, even someone like Tony Stark was kidnapped despite military protection, heightening their sense of insecurity.
A beautiful reporter stood up and asked, "What's the story with the delivery guy? Are violent people ordering takeout?"
Tony replied, "I don't know more than you. I can't go into details now. What I want to talk about is another major decision."
The hint of big news quieted everyone, and they focused on what Tony would say next.
"I never got to say goodbye to my father," Tony continued. "I always had questions for him. Did he ever struggle or doubt? I saw young Americans killed by the weapons I made to protect them. I realized I could do more for the world than just create explosions."
"Therefore, I declare that the weapons manufacturing division of Stark Industries will be shut down, effective immediately!"
The room fell silent before exploding into a frenzy. Reporters rushed forward, bombarding him with questions.
But Tony, exhausted, stopped answering and left with Happy's help.
---
Meanwhile, Alex arranged for Ethan to be assigned to Dr. Stern. The two scientists hit it off immediately.
After seeing Tony's announcement on the news, Alex knew Tony would work on perfecting the Iron Man suit.
A few days later, under the cover of darkness, a humanoid suit flew out of Tony's house.
Alex, sitting in a nearby open-air bar, drinking beer, watched. This initial model, the Mark I, hadn't even been painted, its silver-white metal exposed. However, the Mark I had a significant flaw: no anti-freeze system.
Sure enough, Tony tested the suit's flying height, pushing it to its limits.
Ten thousand feet, twenty thousand feet, thirty thousand feet... eighty thousand feet...
J.A.R.V.I.S. warned, "Sir, potentially fatal ice is forming."
Tony replied, "Keep going. I haven't broken the fixed-wing altitude record of 85,000 feet yet."
Soon, the low temperature caused a thick layer of ice to form on the suit, and the power system shut down due to the cold.
"Uh-oh," Tony muttered as he began plummeting.
Alex remained calm. According to the original plot, the power system should restart near the ground, and Tony would fly back safely.
However, as Tony kept trying to restart the power system, only puffs of black smoke emerged.
"Oops," Alex thought.
A strong wind knocked over the tables and chairs in the open-air bar as Alex disappeared.
With a loud crash, Tony hit the ground, creating a deep pit.
Alex arrived moments later, ripped off Tony's suit mask, and heard Tony wheeze, "Hey... we meet again."
Tony was vomiting blood, and it was clear that the impact was serious. He was initially worried about whether he would die, but seeing Alex made him feel inexplicably safe.
Alex smiled. "Why are you always in trouble every time I see you? I thought I'd finally see you acting cool this time."
Just then, J.A.R.V.I.S. announced, "Injury diagnosis: the spine is broken in three places, both legs are fractured, internal organs are damaged and bleeding. The nearest hospital's emergency number has been called, but it will take at least 20 minutes for help to arrive. Sir, you may not hold on until then..."
Tony's mouth kept foaming with blood, indicating that his lungs had been punctured. He was struggling to breathe.
Alex quickly took out a bottle of recovery potion from his storage compartment.
"Drink this. I bear some responsibility for your injuries."
Tony was deeply moved, thinking Alex felt guilty for not catching him in time. He coughed, "Ahem... How can I... blame you? Ahem...cough... I was too impatient."
However, Tony misunderstood Alex's reasoning. No matter how brilliant Tony was, he couldn't fathom Alex's true meaning.
Tony was supposed to spend three months in the cave. Despite the hardships, this time was crucial for him to refine the details of his suit and bring it to maturity. Alex's intervention had inadvertently allowed Tony to escape over a month early, leading to omissions in some technical details.
These omissions caused the power system to be slightly less reliable than in the original timeline, resulting in Tony's near-fatal crash. If Alex hadn't been nearby, Iron Man might have died before even being born.
Alex sighed inwardly at the butterfly effect. Even a small change could have significant repercussions later. He realized he needed to be more cautious, as unexpected plot changes could potentially lead to the untimely death of superheroes.
"You need to drink this now. In a few minutes, you won't even be able to speak," Alex urged, pouring the recovery potion into Tony's mouth.
A green light enveloped Tony, and in an instant, all his injuries healed. Alex examined the arc reactor on Tony's chest and found it was still intact. The potion, as Dr. Stern had mentioned, recognized old injuries as part of the body and didn't repair them.
Tony marveled, "Is this the same potion you gave Ethan? It's incredible. If this could be mass-produced, no one would fear injury anymore."
Alex nodded. "Unfortunately, it's limited in quantity and can't be mass-produced at the moment."
Tony thought for a moment and agreed. It was unlikely something so miraculous could be as common as cold medicine.
He tried to stand but found the suit too heavy without power. The Mark I was still made of ordinary steel. In the original plot, Tony had flown home and crashed through the cement floor into his lab. The suit's weight was substantial.
"Let me help you out of it," Alex offered.
"Wait," Tony stopped him, "We can't dismantle it forcefully. I need to check for faults. If we dismantle it now, the fault sites will be destroyed."
"It looks like I'll have to carry you back again," Alex said with a hint of exasperation. "I've never carried the same man twice in my life, so this time, you owe me!"
With that, he lifted Tony by the waist and leaped towards Tony's home.
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