Bab 109: Chapter 109: The Dread of Unsettling Silence
That morning, as Harvey sat eating breakfast, he received a call from Tony. The first thing Tony said when Harvey answered was:
"Is it settled?"
"Yeah, after a lot of pleading and bargaining, I finally got Pepper to agree. I promised her I'd be back within a year."
"So, you're ready to leave now?"
"Give me a minute. Let me finish breakfast first. After all, I won't have this kind of breakfast again for a year."
"Why not? Can't you just cook for yourself?"
"You think I can cook? My culinary skills are probably as mediocre as the average person's."
"I'm eating breakfast too. I'll see you soon. There's something I need to discuss with you."
"About my identity in space?"
"Yeah, we'll talk about it later."
Harvey wasn't surprised by Tony's pride in not knowing how to cook. Born with a silver spoon, Tony had never needed to lift a finger in the kitchen. It was a point of pride that Tony had never needed to cook for himself.
A few minutes later, Harvey finished his breakfast, shut off all the power in his house, and made his way to Tony's estate.
Pepper, aware that Tony was leaving that day, hadn't rushed off to work. Instead, she waited for him.
"Good morning, Mr. Amberlock. I've heard some things."
"The universe is nothing like Earth, so Tony's asked me to take care of him," Pepper said with a polite bow, sincerely requesting Harvey's assistance.
"It's been a while, Miss Potts. Good morning," Harvey replied with a smile. "But 'taking care' isn't necessary. The universe is dangerous, sure, but with Tony's intellect and abilities, he'll manage just fine."
"The only thing holding him back is that he can't fully leave Earth yet."
"I trust Tony's talents and strengths, but the universe is unknown to both of us," Pepper said with a soft smile, though a hint of worry remained in her eyes.
Tony had explained more to her than just the details of his trip, so she understood why he was so eager to go into space now.
If she could, Pepper would have liked to go with him. But Stark Industries needed her, and for now, she couldn't just leave.
There wasn't anyone she trusted enough to handle things in her absence. Still, after this, she planned to train someone to take over so that next time, she wouldn't be tied to Earth while Tony ventured off.
"Pepper, you're overthinking this," Tony said, feeling both warmth and exasperation at Pepper's constant worry. "I've given you the space communicator. As soon as I arrive, I'll call you. And anytime you miss me, you can just reach out."
Harvey watched their affectionate exchange but didn't mind. He sat on the couch, waiting while they finished their conversation.
After a few more moments, Tony joined Harvey.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, man," Tony said, slightly embarrassed.
"Didn't you once say that being immortal without anyone to share it with would be lonely? So it's a good thing your relationship is strong," Harvey responded, amused.
"Yeah, having Pepper by my side keeps me grounded. Otherwise, I'd never take off the armor," Tony said, glancing back at Pepper with a soft, affectionate look.
"Alright, so what did you need to tell me?"
"Well, it's not that complicated," Harvey began. "As you probably know from the signal I gave you, my alias in the universe is Kassadin."
"That's the name I use for leading the Void Cult. To them, I'm known as Kassadin, the Void God."
"Now, since you'll be part of the Void Cult too, whenever you interact with other members, you'll need to refer to me as Lord Kassadin."
"Your ability to network with and recruit other members is up to you. But don't go flaunting my name to push your weight around."
"In public, that's how it's done. In private, you can call me Kassadin if you like, but never mention my real name from Earth."
"Void God Kassadin—quite fitting for you," Tony replied with a smirk. "Got it. I won't cause you any trouble."
Tony's expression shifted, showing a brief flicker of disappointment. He'd been planning to use Harvey's reputation to get in good with other members.
After all, Harvey, as the founder of the Void Cult and the one who had led others to believe in the Void, was bound to command respect. If Tony had a direct line to him, he could leverage that for influence.
But Harvey had seen through his plan and nipped it in the bud.
Still, Tony wasn't too upset. Harvey allowing him to network within the cult at all was already a huge advantage.
"Alright, then. If you're good, we'll be heading to a planet called Xandar," Harvey continued.
"The Void Cult's first base is on a private island there."
"Xandar? The planet with the famous Nova Corps? You really know how to pick 'em," Tony said, already familiar with the world from the data Harvey had brought back.
"Yeah, the Kree are also advanced, but their laws are too restrictive. Xandar is just as advanced but more flexible," Harvey explained.
"Got anything you need to bring with you?"
"Not much—just the gravity device you gave me and JARVIS, of course. Without him, my research speed would take a big hit," Tony answered, visibly excited at the idea of visiting a renowned empire like Xandar.
"No wonder I haven't heard JARVIS today. You took him offline already?" Harvey asked, realizing he hadn't heard the AI's usual greeting.
"Not exactly. I just made a copy of him. There's a backup AI now—JARVIS 2."
Right on cue, a voice chimed in, "Is there anything I can assist you with, Mr. Stark?"
"No, just follow Pepper's orders while I'm gone," Tony replied.
"Understood, Mr. Stark," JARVIS 2's voice echoed before falling silent again.
"Now I get why it took you so long—you were busy building a backup AI," Harvey said with an amused shake of his head.
"Yup. Give me a second, and we'll be ready to go." Tony stood up, walking to a clear space in the room. He spread his arms wide and called out, "Suit up!"
But unlike usual, where the suit would fly to him within seconds, nothing happened. Silence hung in the air for a few long, awkward moments.
Tony had planned to show off in front of Harvey, but instead of impressing him, he was left standing there, with Harvey giving him a bemused look.
Tony wished he could crawl into a hole.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone