章節 18: Tony Stark Kidnapped
Walking back to my room, I noticed the television my grandpa had left on in the dining room. An urgent news report rolled across the screen: "Tony Stark, owner of Stark Industries, kidnapped."
Liam paused for a moment, absorbing the headline. 'With this, the MCU has officially begun,' he thought.
A couple of hours ago…
Tony Stark stood in front of a crowd of military officials, his usual swagger on full display. "Is it better to be feared or respected?" He paused, mischief flashing in his eyes. "I say, is it too much to ask for both?"
With a casual signal, the soldiers launched the Jericho missile toward the mountains in the distance. A massive explosion erupted, sending a shockwave through the air. Tony stood unfazed as debris and dust filled the sky behind him.
"For your consideration, the Jericho," he announced, spreading his arms wide, basking in the spectacle.
After the demonstration, Tony made his way to a military vehicle. Before getting in, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the caller ID. 'Obadiah.'
"Tony."
"Obie," Tony grinned, answering the call. "What are you doing up? It's late."
"I couldn't sleep until I heard how it went. How'd it go?"
"It went great. Looks like it's going to be an early Christmas this year."
"Hey! Way to go, my boy! I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"
Tony chuckled. "Why aren't you wearing those pajamas I got you?"
Obadiah sighed, his tone slightly irritated. "Good night, Tony."
"Good night, Obie." Tony hung up, a smirk still lingering on his face.
Climbing into the vehicle, Tony exchanged a small talk with his military escort, still feeling the great because of his demonstration. The convoy started moving through the desolate desert terrain, the sun beating down on the convoy.
Suddenly, a massive explosion ripped through the lead Humvee, stopping the convoy dead in its tracks.
"Ambush!" one of the soldiers shouted as gunfire erupted from all sides. Chaos ensued. The soldiers rushed outside the Humvee to defend Tony, but the attack was overwhelming.
Tony quickly scrambled out of the vehicle, diving behind a nearby rock for cover. His heart pounded as bullets flew past him. Fumbling for his phone, he tried to make a call for help, but then— THUD.
A missile landed just a few feet away from him. His breath caught in his throat as he read the logo stamped on the side: "Stark Industries."
"Beep... beep... beep..."
"Whoa..." Tony barely managed to utter before the missile exploded, knocking him out from the pain.
A short while later…
''Gasp! Ugh ugh''
Tony awoke with a sharp gasp, the world around him blurry and unfamiliar. His chest ached. His throat felt dry. He tried to move but felt something tugging at him—he was connected to a crude, makeshift medical device, a tube running through his nose. Panic surged through him as he groaned in pain.
His hand fumbled for a cup of water on a small table beside him, but his arm was weak. The cup tipped and fell, spilling its contents onto the dusty floor.
"Cough... Cough…" Tony gasped, his throat burning.
He turned his head to take in his surroundings. The walls of the room were rough and cold, like a cave. There were no hospital machines here—no sterile equipment. Just raw, primitive tools. His mind raced, trying to piece together what had happened.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a man standing a few feet away, shaving in front of a small, cracked mirror.
Trying to get off the bed, Tony groaned as pain shot through his chest.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you." The voice came from the other side of the room, calm yet firm.
Tony froze, his breath catching as he noticed wires running from his chest. Instinctively, he ripped at the bandages, revealing a crude, metal object embedded in his chest. His heart raced as panic and confusion set in.
The man who had spoken was no longer in front of the mirror, but now stood by a small stove, stirring porridge in a pot.
Tony sat up, despite the burning pain. "What the hell did you do to me?" His voice was raspy, barely audible.
The man continued stirring the pot for a moment, then finally turned to face Tony. His expression was calm, even amused. "What I did?" He chuckled softly before continuing, "What I did is to save your life."
-----------
Liam switched off the television, the news report still fresh in his mind. Tony Stark's kidnapping meant only one thing: the gears of the MCU were officially turning. Events were set in motion. Soon, Iron Man would be born, and with him, the world would never be the same.
As he sat back in his chair, Liam couldn't help but wonder what kind of butterfly effect his presence in this world would create.
'Guess it's going to take a bit longer for Fury to go after me' he mused.
章節 19: Sanctum
Switching off the TV in the dining room, Liam headed back to his room. After flicking on the lights, he grabbed Incursio and sat down on the floor. He summoned the armor and carefully examined every small detail. As the armor encased him, Liam closed his eyes and calmed his breathing, feeling the raw energy from Incursio flow through him. For now, though, the energy seemed limited to just enhancing his physical abilities and powering up Neontote.
'Tatsumi only unlocked invisibility after evolving Incursio in his fight against The Stylish,' Liam thought. 'But how am I supposed to evolve it?'
Tatsumi had gained more power by absorbing energy from strong opponents. Would the same be true for him? He wasn't sure.
After five minutes, the armor vanished, leaving him back in his regular clothes. Liam remained seated, deep in thought. 'Maybe I should visit the Sanctum to learn more about controlling energy,' he mused. 'If I can manipulate the energy from Incursio, I could possibly apply that energy to magic as well.'
With no clear answers on how long it would take to evolve Incursio or extend its duration, Liam decided the best course of action was to keep training his body and to start learning new skills. He began his usual exercise routine, losing himself in the training, until his grandfather's voice interrupted.
"Liam! Dinner's ready!" Harold called from downstairs.
Liam quickly cleaned up and headed to the kitchen. Harold greeted him with a warm smile. "You slept in late today. Haven't seen you take a break like that in years," he chuckled. "But I made your favorite tonight, so sit down and enjoy."
"Thanks, Grandpa. I really appreciate it," Liam said with a smile as he took a seat.
As they ate, Harold glanced at him, a teasing glint appearing in his eyes. "So, what's new with you? Anything exciting I should know about? Maybe a girlfriend? Or some new friends?"
Liam chuckled. "No, nothing like that. Though I've been thinking about going on another trip."
Harold's smile faltered a bit. "Another trip? Where to this time?"
"I'm staying nearby—just towards the other side of New York. I'll be away for a bit, but I'll come back to visit often," Liam explained.
Harold sighed, clearly relieved. "Well, at least you're staying close this time."
"Still, be careful, Liam," Harold warned, his tone growing more serious. "I saw on the news this morning that Tony Stark was kidnapped. If someone as powerful as Stark can be kidnapped, you can guess what happens to you if you encounter the wrong people.''
"I know, Grandpa," Liam said, nodding reassured him. "But don't worry, I can handle myself."
As they finished dinner, Liam's mind drifted back to Stark Industries. 'Maybe I should invest in Stark Industries before everything takes off,' he thought, already forming a plan.
"Thanks for dinner, Grandpa. I'm heading back upstairs. Let me know if you need anything," Liam said, standing up.
Back in his room, Liam resumed training with Incursio, focusing on pushing his limits within the five-minute window. After a round of summoning and releasing the armor, he took a break and started researching the location of the New York Sanctum. But his search wasn't limited to just magic—he also began investigating where to borrow money to invest in Stark Industries.
As he was deep in thought, Harold unexpectedly entered his room.
"Liam, what are you doing?" his grandfather asked, noticing the computer screen.
Startled, Liam quickly turned around. "Uh, nothing, Grandpa," he said, trying to sound casual.
Harold walked over and glanced at the screen. "If you need money, you don't have to borrow from a bank. You know, your mother set aside a college fund for you. You could use that."
Liam blinked in surprise. "I have a college fund?" This was the first time he had heard about it.
"Yes," Harold said softly. "Your mother saved up a little before she passed. It's been sitting there untouched. I originally planned to keep it for you in case you wanted to go back to school, but if you've found something else that makes you happy, then go ahead and use it."
Liam sat back, processing the information. "Thanks, Grandpa. I'll be careful and won't do anything reckless with it."
Harold smiled, patting Liam's shoulder gently. "I trust you to make good decisions." With that, Harold left the room.
Liam leaned back, thinking about the college fund. 'Looks like I need to make a trip to the bank tomorrow to get access to that money.'
'It doesn't matter how much is in there—whatever it is, I'll invest all of it in Stark Industries while Tony is still missing. Once he's back, I'll sell everything and make a huge profit. Then, after he announces the closure of the weapons division, I'll reinvest it all and wait for the famous 'I am Iron Man' to make more money.'
With that money, Grandpa could live a luxurious life. That would make me happy.
'It's decided,' Liam thought as he stretched and got ready for bed. 'Tomorrow morning, I'll stop by the bank first before heading to the New York Sanctum.'
Feeling more determined, Liam lay down and let sleep take over, easing away the last bit of exhaustion from the day.
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A bit of a smaller chapter today but don't worry we will soon get into the actual fun. I hope everyone keeps on enjoying the fanfic, thanks for all the support and feedback that's been given to me:).
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