Chapter 26: I Am Iron Man

Ethan Hayes returned to his apartment, feeling a mix of anticipation and excitement. It was strange; ever since he had moved in, he hadn't run into George Stacy or his wife. Despite being Gwen's official boyfriend now, the Stacys remained elusive. Gwen herself had been increasingly busy, especially with her new Spider responsibilities.

As he settled in, the system's notification pinged in his mind:

[Mission: The Devil's Contempt—Wilson Fisk (Kingpin) is holding a celebrity reception in Manhattan tonight. Trample his reputation into the ground and send him to meet Satan in the name of the devil. Task level: white.]

The system then prompted Ethan with the next choice:

[The task has been completed. Do you wish to open the reward blind box or continue with ongoing tasks?]

Ethan smirked. "Continue with the tasks," he decided. He didn't care for a white blind box. He wanted something more valuable, something that could offer him a real edge.

[The host seems to have misunderstood. Blind boxes contain unpredictable rewards, and no one knows what's inside until it is opened. Even the white blind box can contain legendary rewards like the Kryptonian bloodline.]

Ethan paused, thinking it over. "Kryptonian bloodline, huh? That would be something," he mused. "Too bad there's no Kryptonite in this universe."

[The task will roll forward into the next round. Completing the second round will increase rewards with a +200% critical boost.]

The system's response broke Ethan's thoughts, quelling his playful aggression. He took another look at his desire points. After taking down Kingpin and his cronies, he'd racked up 860,000 desire points. Taking out Kingpin alone had earned him 200,000. The rest came from the influential guests at the reception. While smaller players like Kingpin's underlings didn't offer much, the combined effect was starting to add up.

Thanks to last night's events, the Ice Demon had become infamous. His deeds were spreading globally, and while it might not offer an instant flood of desire points, it was a slow burn. Given time, his name would generate millions more desire points.

Ethan couldn't sense Gwen's life signature. He had a unique ability to detect familiar life forces by tracking their blood flow, and he could easily pinpoint Gwen from a hundred feet away. But she wasn't nearby tonight.

"Maybe she's out enjoying her new Spider powers," Ethan muttered. He figured she was caught up in the thrill of it all.

Opening his brokerage software, he saw that his stock in Stark Industries had made a nice profit. But he knew the real financial windfall was still ahead. He wasn't sure when Obadiah Stane would make his final move, but when Tony Stark uttered the iconic phrase, "I am Iron Man," that's when everything would change.

The world doesn't know it yet, but we're standing on the edge of something massive, Ethan thought to himself. The rise of Iron Man would reshape the global landscape.

In Los Angeles, chaos was unfolding. Two men clad in Iron Man suits battled across the streets. The massive explosions at the Stark Industries building signaled the end of the conflict. Tony Stark had won, and Obadiah Stane was dead.

Stane's shares fell directly into Tony's hands. Stark had never needed to lift a finger, thanks to J.A.R.V.I.S., his cutting-edge artificial intelligence. J.A.R.V.I.S. had orchestrated everything perfectly, transferring all of Obadiah's assets into Tony's name.

Tony Stark sat in the break room, reflecting on what was next for him. Now that he held a controlling interest in Stark Industries, the future was his to shape. With the Arc Reactor's clean energy technology, Stark Industries would soon dominate the civilian sector, and no one would challenge his reign. He was ready to be a dictator in his own right—only this time, with the power to shape the world.

Sitting alone, Tony ran his fingers over the Arc Reactor embedded in his chest. He knew that the reactor was slowly poisoning him, the radiation toxins spreading through his body. He needed to prepare for whatever came next. After everything he'd been through—kidnapping, betrayal—he knew that not everyone would love him, even if they admired his wealth and genius.

"If there's no tomorrow," Tony whispered to himself, "I want to be remembered as a genius scientist, the creator of the Mark Armor."

Pepper Potts entered, interrupting his thoughts. She handed him a tablet with the latest news.

"Tony, this happened last night. Wilson Fisk is dead."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "Fisk? If I remember right, Wilson's construction company was building our new headquarters in New York. He was… complicated."

Pepper nodded. "The news is saying Wilson Fisk, also known as Kingpin, was the criminal underworld's ruler. His death has made waves everywhere."

Tony didn't seem fazed. "It's not surprising. We already finished our deal with him. His death doesn't affect us." There was no emotion in his voice, just cold pragmatism.

As the press conference approached, Pepper reminded Tony that it was time.

"Give me three more minutes," Tony said, focused on his phone. After she left, he called out, "J.A.R.V.I.S., scan the face of the Ice Demon beneath that mask. Find him."

J.A.R.V.I.S., working faster than any human could, began running facial recognition through the ice mask Ethan wore.

"The world is losing its mind," Tony muttered, but deep down, he was fascinated. His tech ruled the skies, but now, with Stark Industries relocating to Manhattan, the Ice Demon's bloody rampage had happened right in his new backyard.

"J.A.R.V.I.S., what do you have for me?"

[Sir, I've located him. Additionally, sir, he's been heavily investing in Stark Industries stock. He's one of the top ten shareholders.]

Tony froze for a second. The Ice Demon is one of my shareholders? he thought, trying to wrap his mind around it.

Moments later, Tony stood before the reporters. He'd set down his pre-written speech, staring at the audience, his mind racing. In that moment, he thought of the Ice Demon and all the other masked vigilantes out there.

If I hide behind my tech, it means nothing. People need to know who's behind the suit. Transparency is the key. I won't hide who I am.

He took a deep breath and smiled, looking directly into the camera.

"I am Iron Man."

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