Chương 114: Chapter 114 Someone About to Show Off!
I didn't expect you'd be interested in this experiment."
Tony was genuinely surprised to run into Anton here. The latter hardly seemed like someone who would care about a scientific experiment.
As for Obadiah earlier invitation to Anton at that Los Angeles party, Tony had long forgotten about it. Scenes like that were so commonplace to him that he'd practically evolved into a "ghoster extraordinaire."
"I do legitimate work sometimes," Anton shrugged.
He gestured toward Eddie in the distance. "I'm the boss of the Daily Bugle, after all. Today, I'm here to inspect the work and enjoy the spectacle. After all, this public experiment has drawn a lot of attention—especially with Stark Industries' stock hitting its upper limit recently... Oh, by the way, Tony, maybe you didn't know—I'm now a shareholder of Stark Industries!"
Indeed, under Anton orders, Betty had made a significant investment in Stark Industries.
During a turbulent period when the company future seemed uncertain, she had aggressively bought shares from several minor shareholders at a high premium. Though Anton holdings weren't massive, they officially made him a part of Stark Industries' inner circle.
"Stark Industries won't let you down," Tony replied, giving Anton a deep look before handing the Mark V portable armor suitcase to Happy. With empty hands, he accompanied Anton to tour the experimental platform.
On the platform, Otto Octavius, a prominent figure in nuclear physics, was all smiles, shaking hands one by one with the arriving guests.
Many people had high hopes for this experiment.
If successful, it would revolutionize the entire energy industry and reshape the world.
"Tony, glad you could make it," Otto greeted Tony Stark, ignoring Anton beside him, and shook Tony hand with a smile.
To Otto, Anton presence was inconsequential; they had no connection.
Tony Stark, however, was different.
As a genius in the world of invention, the two had exchanged brief words at various events. Otto acknowledged Tony intellect and abilities.
"I'm looking forward to your success, Otto," Tony said, his gaze shifting to the nuclear fusion apparatus behind Otto—a machine undoubtedly built with a significant budget to support the "Artificial Sun" experiment.
Four curved rods formed a semicircle for energy output, all directed at a single point, ready to begin the experiment at any moment.
The apparatus was clearly the result of advanced technical expertise.
Tony mind processed a flood of information before he expressed his amazement.
"Congratulations, Otto."
The compliment made Otto smile grow even wider.
Receiving praise from a genius inventor like Tony Stark, a peer of sorts in the industry, clearly meant a lot to him.
Suddenly—
"Tony, Anton, it so good to see you both."
Obadiah voice rang out.
The bald elder strode forward energetically, arms wide open. He hugged Tony tightly, his kindly smile betraying no hint of being the mastermind behind Tony kidnapping in Afghanistan.
"Especially you, Tony. It wonderful to see you getting out and about," Obadiah said softly in Tony ear, patting his back with apparent affection.
"I'm trying to change, Obie," Tony responded quietly, suppressing the suspicion in his gaze.
"Anton," Obadiah then turned to Anton. "I hope this stage hasn't disappointed you?"
"Not at all. I'm eagerly awaiting the show," Anton replied with a smile, prompting Tony to roll his eyes.
Tony didn't believe Anton words were genuine, yet he couldn't detect any falsehood in his tone. It only proved Anton ability to lie had reached an art form.
What Tony didn't realize was that Anton was entirely sincere.
While Tony and Otto exchanged greetings, Anton attention was drawn to the experimental platform. Next to the nuclear fusion apparatus stood four mechanical structures, like pillars, clustered together under a glass dome.
Anton knew full well these were Otto "assistants."
In other words, these were the four mechanical arms that would transform Otto into Doctor Octopus.
Seeing these devices, Otto fate was all but sealed.
Of course, even knowing the likely outcome, Anton had no intention of stopping Otto from activating the arms.
Not only would such an attempt be futile—he and Otto had no personal connection—but Otto arrogance and self-assured intellect left no room for outside advice.
Instead, Anton was content to wait for Otto to be consumed by the mechanical arms, descend into darkness, and then step in to resolve the situation.
At that point, he could earn some justice points.
As Anton pondered this, his thoughts shifted to planning the coolest way to make his entrance.
The sun reached its zenith.
High noon.
Dong!!
Somewhere, a bell tolled like it was New Year Eve.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Otto straightened his posture and stepped onto the experimental platform, exuding pride.
Facing the audience, he gave a triumphant smile.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the experiment is about to begin. Today, you will witness the most world-changing invention of the 21st century."
Otto confidence was palpable as his gaze swept over the assembled guests.
Meanwhile, the reporters stationed around the guest area redirected their cameras from the familiar faces in the crowd to focus entirely on Otto.
"Today, you will witness the birth of a revolutionary new energy technology based on nuclear fusion..."
"The Artificial Sun will be my greatest invention."
"Safe, renewable clean energy, providing affordable electricity for everyone..."
Otto passionate speech, paired with his excited and confident demeanor, stirred the emotions of the guests and reporters alike, leaving them brimming with anticipation for the future.
Among the reporters, only Eddie expression turned peculiar.
Truth be told, he had been excited about the success of the "Artificial Sun." However, Anton earlier words suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Don't let your guard down. You never know when it'll be our turn to step in!"
Those were Anton exact words.
Knowing Anton character, Eddie was sure he wasn't prone to making baseless claims.
Anton must have received some information predicting that this public experiment—which had drawn the attention of all New York and even the world—was highly likely to encounter a major incident.
Pondering this, Eddie detached himself from Otto speech and began scanning the area around the experimental platform.
His eyes locked onto the four mysterious mechanical devices beneath the transparent glass dome.
"And now, allow me to introduce my assistants," Otto announced, moving into the main event.
He removed his jacket, revealing a less-than-toned body with a bit of flab. His smile grew even more smug.
Everyone followed the direction of his gesture to the four mechanical structures under the glass dome.
"Don't mistake these for spare parts. These are my assistants—four mechanical arms I've spent countless time and effort designing and building. They are specifically crafted to operate this nuclear fusion apparatus and are completely resistant to heat and magnetic fields."
As Otto spoke, he ordered the glass dome to be opened and turned his back to the mechanical arms.
Eddie sense of foreboding deepened as he kept his eyes fixed on the mechanical arms.
In the guest area.
All eyes were on Otto.
The four mechanical arms stood motionless, cold and unyielding. Even without touching them, one could feel their icy presence.
Tony squinted, his mind processing a slew of technical details, and he couldn't help but marvel once again at Otto brilliance.
Anton, meanwhile, had reined in his smile. While his expression was calm, he was secretly on high alert.
On the much-anticipated stage, the mechanical harness behind Otto wrapped tightly around his slightly pudgy waist. Centipede-like neural sensors climbed up his spine, and syringe-like wires pierced into his body.
Otto face showed a fleeting grimace of pain, but he quickly returned to normal.
Clack, clack, clack!
At that moment, the four mechanical tentacles on his back rose at his command, moving as if they were extensions of his own body.
"Amazing!"
"What an incredible invention! And this is just a byproduct of the Artificial Sun experiment…"
The audience buzzed with astonishment.
"These mechanical arms are controlled by my brain," Otto explained, "through signals transmitted via my spinal nerves. Tiny wires connect directly to my cerebellum, enabling me to operate in environments impossible for humans to endure."
Otto spread his arms wide, and the mechanical tentacles behind him extended menacingly, mirroring his movements.
"Additionally, they are equipped with highly advanced intelligence. They possess a degree of autonomy that allows them to assist me in executing experiments more efficiently and effectively."
Hearing this, Tony frowned slightly.
"Doctor, if they are as intelligent as you say, how can you ensure that it you controlling the arms and not the other way around?"
Tony stood up, asking the critical question.
"Excellent point, Tony. That exactly the kind of question I'd expect from you."
Otto turned to show the audience his spine. "I've designed an inhibitor chip to protect my brain functions. This ensures that I am the one in control."
"I have no further questions," Tony said, sitting back down.
He understood Otto logic. It was akin to how he programmed J.A.R.V.I.S. with safeguards, including the Three Laws of Robotics, to prevent any betrayal by artificial intelligence.
Otto, however, had directly suppressed the AI autonomy, ensuring that human commands were the ultimate authority.
Both approaches prioritized outcomes, and as long as there were no malfunctions, they could be considered revolutionary, awe-inspiring inventions.
"Let move on to the main event," Otto announced, smiling broadly as he turned toward the centerpiece of the stage.
The nuclear fusion apparatus.
Anton sat calmly in the audience, watching as Otto prepared for the demonstration. Seemingly nonchalantly, he turned to glance at Eddie behind him, subtly signaling him to get ready.
Eddie, who had been observing the scene closely, caught the signal and froze momentarily.
At this point, the experiment had already begun.
The four curved energy emitters directed their beams at a suspended mass of tritium, provided by Stark Industries, locking it in mid-air.
Boom!
The audience felt an inaudible yet palpable shockwave in their minds.
The weather seemed to shift dramatically.
Before them, the elements burst into radiant light. A red glowing sphere, like a miniature sun, appeared, eliciting gasps of awe that could not be suppressed.
"The power of the sun... in my hands!!"
Otto raised both arms, along with the mechanical tentacles on his back, as if holding up the sun itself.
"You're mistaken, Otto. That power belongs to us," came a booming laugh from the front row of the audience.
Obadiah Stane sat there, brimming with confidence.
He was already imagining Stark Industries' stock soaring to historic highs after today.
Stark would transcend the arms industry and become the leader of the energy sector overnight.
Beside him, however, Tony face remained grave, lacking Obadiah carefree demeanor.
Tony could see that the experiment was proceeding smoothly so far. Yet, he also understood the catastrophic consequences of failure.
If this artificial sun proved unstable and exploded, it could destroy all of New York.
Eddie swallowed hard.
In his mind, Venom was screaming warnings.
"Damn it, Eddie! What are you doing?! You're way too close to that thing! If its energy reaches peak output, we'll be blown to smithereens!"
Venom was on the verge of losing it.
When he first arrived on Earth, he had naively believed it to be a safe place where he could reign supreme.
How long had it been since then? After bonding with Eddie, he had already encountered one mutant after another.
And now, this level of advanced black technology!
If this thing truly mimicked the sun and started expanding, it could obliterate an entire city with ease.
Compared to this, even a full-scale invasion by the symbiotes might seem like a minor disturbance.
Those fools in Riot camp were delusional if they thought they could conquer Earth!
Pure fantasy!!
Anton maintained his composed demeanor, his gaze fixed on the unfolding events, ready to act at a moment notice.
So far, the experiment appeared to be a success. Otto smile hadn't wavered.
But soon, that smile would vanish.
And sure enough...
The magnetic field began to destabilize.
Reporters struggled to keep hold of their cameras.
Even the chairs in the guest seating area started to vibrate.
"Stay calm, it'll stabilize soon!"
Otto shouted at the top of his lungs.
"Doctor, the energy is leaking!"
A panicked assistant called out from beneath the platform.
"Stay calm!"
Otto bellowed back in frustration, almost losing control himself.
The scene turned chaotic.
Tony expression grew grim. He understood what was happening immediately and shouted toward Otto: "Shut it down!"
"No! I can stabilize it!"
Otto refused flatly.
"Shit!!"
Even Obadiah realized things were going south.
"I need to stop him!"
Tony, opting for safety, waved at Happy to grab the suitcase containing the Mark V armor. Just as he prepared to rush onto the platform—
Whoosh!
Before he could react, he found himself yanked away, flying backward from the platform at high speed.
Turning to look, he realized it was Anton gripping his wrist, running at breakneck speed and pulling him away from the guest seating.
Even Happy was dumbfounded.
For a moment, Happy thought his job as a bodyguard had been usurped by Anton.
Isn't this supposed to be my job?
Glancing down at his protruding belly, he sighed inwardly. Maybe I'm just a driver now.
Am I going to lose my job after today?
Happy mind raced with thoughts, but the next second, snapping out of it, he gave it his all to catch up with Anton and Tony ahead of him.
"Wait for me!!"
On the other side of the chaos:
"Shit! Anton, what are you doing? Let me go! Why are you clinging to me like this?"
Tony was furious.
"I'm saving your damn life!!"
Anton shot back bluntly, unbothered by Tony anger.
Tony was momentarily stunned, rendered speechless.
Despite his protests, Anton continued dragging him into a frenzied sprint until they were far away from the experimental platform.
While running, Anton discreetly glanced at the suitcase in Tony other hand, his mind churning. No way am I letting you ruin my plans!!
Meanwhile.
The reporters who had been clustered together also began scattering, keeping a safe distance to avoid the fallout of the unstable "Artificial Sun."
The reason they didn't flee further was simple: even with their limited knowledge of physics, they understood that if the experiment continued and the sun destabilized further, anyone who failed to get out of New York in time would be obliterated.
"Damn it, someone stop him!!"
One person grit their teeth in frustration.
"Where Batman?"
"Where Batman when we need him?"
For the first time, the reporters longed for Batman to appear, not for the sake of a big headline, but to save their lives.
Amidst the chaos, Eddie recalled how Anton had warned him earlier to be ready. His shock was beyond words.
Anton had predicted the experiment failure from the start!
How had he known?
As he pondered this, Eddie tightened his grip on his camera to prevent the enormous magnetic pull from ripping it out of his hands.
Eddie finally understood what Anton preparation instructions really meant.
It wasn't about Venom stepping in to resolve the crisis.
It was about being ready for one thing—
Someone about to make a grand entrance!
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Masret
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