Chapter 82: Tony's Questions

"Emperor!"

Tony repeated the name inside his Iron Man suit, and suddenly, his own moniker, "Iron Man," felt a bit underwhelming. It was then that Tony noticed something odd—a small, mouse-like figure in the Emperor's arms.

"What's that?" Tony couldn't hold back his curiosity and asked.

"Pika... Chu..." Pikachu growled menacingly, sparks flashing on its cheeks.

This left Tony even more puzzled. A creature that looked like a mouse was generating electricity. Could it be that this thing was powering the golden armor?

Alan gently patted Pikachu on the head with his other hand. "It's okay, he means no harm."

Tony pressed on with his questions. "Is that your energy source?"

Alan instantly realized that Tony was likely struggling with palladium poisoning, which had been troubling him for quite some time. It also meant that Nick Fury hadn't yet given him Howard Stark's legacy.

In that case...

"No, he's just my pet," Alan replied. "Why? Are you having trouble with your energy source?"

Tony was startled. "You noticed."

Alan nodded. "But I'm afraid I have to disappoint you. My armor doesn't require an external energy source."

"It runs purely on my power."

Tony, upon meeting Alan, turned into a flurry of questions. "So, are you saying you're a mutant?"

"Not exactly," Alan replied, sensing the wind blowing around them. "It's a bit windy up here. Why don't we head down?"

"Good idea. Using too much power isn't great for my health either," Tony admitted without hesitation.

Alan led Tony to land on a mountaintop.

Meanwhile, Nick Fury had already left his office, watching the live footage of the two on his tablet. Fury was silently praying, "Tony, keep him occupied. I'm on my way."

In Fury's mind, this might be his only chance to make contact with the golden armor.

At the mountaintop, Tony, wanting to show his sincerity, lifted his faceplate. "I'm Tony Stark."

"Iron Man is just my... nickname."

After a moment's thought, "nickname" was the only word Tony could come up with. He used to think the golden armor in videos wasn't a big deal, but now, standing before it in person, Tony felt like he was facing a giant. A deep sense of admiration welled up inside him. His previous arrogance seemed almost laughable in the presence of Emperor.

Alan, still patting Pikachu's head, responded, "I know. Pretty much everyone in the world knows who you are now."

"Pika... Chu..." Pikachu stared at Tony.

Tony asked in confusion, "What's he saying?"

"He said your Iron Man suit looks a bit like mine... just uglier."

Tony couldn't help but feel a bit awkward. It wasn't just Pikachu—Alan also found the Iron Man suit a little unsightly.

The Emperor Armor didn't need to follow the laws of physics; it was designed to look as imposing as possible. But Tony's Iron Man suit had to adhere to physical principles—certain parts needed to be rounded to maintain flight and balance. This resulted in Tony's suit looking somewhat incongruous.

The worst part was that, influenced by the Emperor Armor, Tony didn't even realize there was anything wrong with his design. That was the most fatal flaw.

"I'm not one for beating around the bush," Tony said earnestly. "Is there anything you can do to help me? Help me solve my energy problem."

Alan looked at Tony, whose face was filled with sincerity. It seemed that he had indeed been tormented by the symptoms of palladium poisoning recently.

If Alan remembered correctly, according to the plot, Tony would soon start to spiral, giving away his belongings, with Rhodes obtaining the Mark II suit and converting it into War Machine, and Pepper Potts becoming the CEO of Stark Industries.

Then Nick Fury arrived just in time, bringing Howard Stark's legacy with him. Using the materials left behind by Howard, Tony was able to create a new element that saved his life.

"I can't help you much, really. You already have something at home that can replace the palladium," Alan said.

Tony was stunned. "I already have something at home... that can replace palladium?"

He had tried everything he could think of during this time.

"Have you looked through what your father, Howard Stark, left behind? There's still a lot there for you to learn."

"My father..." Tony murmured. His unresolved feelings toward his parents, especially not being able to see them before they passed, had always been a thorn in his heart. Coupled with Howard's frequent absences and strictness during his childhood, Tony had always felt that his father owed him.

"For instance, his concept of a 'city of the future,'" Alan continued, giving Tony a clue.

Tony immediately caught on. "Wait a minute, it seems like you know a lot about all this..."

Suddenly, Tony was startled. Alan had appeared right in front of him in an instant, without him noticing how it happened.

"Someone troublesome is coming. Remember, don't mention our conversation to anyone."

"Who are you talking about?"

Tony was momentarily confused, but by the time he gathered his thoughts, Emperor had vanished.

"Hey, where did you go?"

"Jarvis, what just happened?" Tony asked immediately.

He was certain that even if Emperor could deceive his senses, he wouldn't be able to fool the AI.

"I'm not sure, sir. For a brief moment, I lost connection with the Mark suit," Jarvis replied.

Tony felt a chill down his spine. That meant if Emperor had wanted to kill him just then, it would have been effortless... even Jarvis wouldn't have been able to detect it.

"Sir, Nick Fury from S.H.I.E.L.D. is here," Jarvis alerted.

With Jarvis's warning, Tony looked up and saw a black aircraft descending slowly, blending into the night. In an instant, Tony realized that the "troublesome guy" Alan mentioned was none other than Nick Fury.

Tony closed his Iron Man mask again, watching as the aircraft landed in front of him. Nick Fury hurriedly ran out.

"Tony, where is that golden armor?" Fury asked urgently.

Tony glanced at Nick Fury and said, "I don't know. He just disappeared suddenly."

"What did you two talk about?" Nick Fury asked immediately.

Tony didn't hesitate. "Just two geniuses exchanging ideas—discussing improvements for our suits."

As Nick Fury prepared to ask more questions, Tony slowly began to rise into the air. "Director, you should know I have a Senate hearing with the Department of Defense tomorrow."

"I'll be going now..."

...

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