Mysterious person?
Magic?
When Tony Stark heard this, his eyes lit up.
He began carefully reading the memoir from the Middle Ages.
This girl claimed that she and several other young girls accused of witchcraft had been captured by the church.
When they were about to be burned at the stake, a mysterious figure saved them.
This figure wore a hooded cloak, keeping their head down so that their face couldn't be clearly seen.
However, the mysterious person waved their hand and sent the surrounding onlookers flying, and then killed the church personnel one by one.
After dealing with those people, the figure waved their hand again, cutting the ropes that bound the girls, setting them free.
And at this moment, Tony Stark saw something that thrilled him.
According to the girl's memoir, to help them escape and avoid being captured again by the people nearby...
That mysterious person summoned a golden portal and transported them to a completely unfamiliar place.
It wasn't until many years later that they discovered that they had been transported hundreds of kilometers away from their home.
"Of course, there is no solid evidence to prove that this memoir is factual."
"Therefore, the scientific community has long considered those witches to be just ordinary girls."
Jarvis's voice sounded again.
Tony Stark didn't speak. Now he understood why Jarvis had kept the memoir.
It was because the golden portal mentioned in the memoir was something they had just recently seen!
That masked man wearing the Iron Man helmet!
So, you all like to keep yourselves hidden, huh?
Once I finish making my anti-magic armor, I'll make sure you get a taste of how awkward that can feel!
"Jarvis, make a note and continue following this lead."
"See if you can find any similar incidents or new clues."
Tony Stark pursed his lips and turned his gaze to the second screen.
The content on the second screen was even richer. It detailed a middle-aged man who claimed to be from Asgard.
This was information from S.H.I.E.L.D.
When S.H.I.E.L.D. discovered him, they had a conversation with him.
According to his account, he was an ordinary blacksmith from Asgard who came to Earth with Odin thousands of years ago to fight.
After the war ended, he did not return to Asgard with the other soldiers but chose to stay on Earth.
During his time on Earth, he said he encountered a man who claimed to be a sorcerer, and they had a conversation.
That sorcerer was powerful, powerful enough to terrify him.
The sorcerer made it clear that he was welcome to live on Earth.
But he needed to change his residence periodically and must not let the people of Earth discover his true identity.
And he must not bring any crises to Earth because of his presence.
The man agreed, and after that, he never saw the sorcerer again.
And that sorcerer's name was...
Zarathustra.
"Zarathustra, a name derived from Greek transliteration; the original Avestan name was 'Zarathustra Spitama'."
"Some believe he was a mythical figure, but most scholars agree that he was a historical person, likely living in the 12th or 11th century BCE."
"The age is plausible."
Jarvis, like an encyclopedia, began providing information on the figure.
This was not a well-known figure; not many people even knew of him compared to Tony Stark.
But according to this Asgardian, this person did exist in history and was supposedly a very powerful sorcerer.
But Tony Stark furrowed his brows.
12th to 11th century BCE?
How was that different from a legend?
Even though this story was coming from an Asgardian, it wasn't clear whether it was reliable.
Tony Stark had seen Thor drunk, and if all Asgardians were like Thor, then this story was even less credible.
Tony shook his head and turned to the third screen.
The third screen presented an event closest to the present day.
Sixteen years ago!
In London, there had been a terrifying murder case.
According to the police records, the death toll had reached dozens, and survivors said that the killer murdered anyone in sight, with extremely brutal methods.
If that was all, it would have just been a horrifying murder case.
But that wasn't the reality.
According to the Scotland Yard investigation afterward, the condition of the victims was horrific; some had their arms torn off, others had their abdomens sliced open, and some even had their heads smashed.
It was said that half of the officers at the scene couldn't hold back their vomit.
And after the forensic examination, it was concluded that these injuries couldn't have been inflicted by a human.
Unless the perpetrator had superhuman strength and used a massive machete or a chainsaw, there was no reasonable explanation for many of the wounds.
"According to survivors, they saw a golden light emanating from one of the rooms at the crime scene after they escaped."
"Some also claimed to have seen a person wearing a yellow cloak and hood leaving the scene afterward."
"And they were holding a baby in their arms."
"Based on the number of victims, it was indeed confirmed that a baby was missing."
After listening to Jarvis's explanation, Tony Stark stood up from his chair.
He pushed the second screen aside and placed the first and third screens side by side.
A hooded figure in a yellow cloak.
One used a golden portal; the other was seen where a golden light appeared.
Putting these two together...
Tony Stark's expression changed dramatically!
The difference here was more than five hundred years!
Who on Earth was he dealing with—what kind of monster had lived for that long?
No, no. Maybe it was the inheritors of those people from back then?
People like them couldn't possibly be lone wolves; they definitely had some kind of organization.
After all, Tony had met that mysterious guy. Based on the way he spoke and his mannerisms, he didn't seem like a monster that had lived for hundreds of years.
He seemed more like a young man.
So, thinking about it, Tony Stark breathed a sigh of relief.
Thank goodness he wasn't dealing with some centuries-old monster, otherwise, he wouldn't know where to start.
But even so, the other's mysterious abilities still felt troublesome to Tony Stark.
"There are still several documents among the rest of the data that seem to be worth referencing."
"One of them describes wizards and magicians..."
"Tony?"
Just as Jarvis was continuing his explanation, Pepper Potts's voice came from outside the lab.
Tony Stark quickly shut off the 3D projections and said to Jarvis, "Take care of it; meet up if possible," before turning with a smile to greet Pepper.
"Pepper, finished your work?"
Tony spread his arms, giving Pepper a big hug.
Since he set off fireworks with all of his Iron Man suits in front of Pepper, their relationship had blossomed rapidly.
Aside from not being married yet, they were like a married couple.
"Tony, what are you working on?"
Pepper moved back from Tony's embrace, glancing around the lab.
Tony opened his mouth but ended up saying just a few words.
"Just some research."
It had to be said—Tony Stark wasn't great at lying, at least not to Pepper.
"Some research"?
Pepper didn't see anything in the lab that looked like research material.
"Alright, as long as you're happy."
"I just don't want you to be in danger."
Pepper smiled but didn't expose Tony's small lie.
She knew it was Tony's passion, his responsibility.
"Just don't end up like last time, falling endlessly through two holes, needing me to save you."
Pepper smiled brightly as she said that.
Recalling his embarrassment, Tony Stark couldn't help but look exasperated.
"Come on, Pepper, let's not bring up those bad memories, alright?"
"Such a beautiful night, we shouldn't let it be spoiled by those things. We should get some rest."
"Jarvis, enter night mode."
...
Two days later.
Ronan rode a bike through the bustling streets of New York.
His destination was Stark Tower.
From being a superhero who saved the world, to being an ordinary high school student.
That wasn't an easy transition.
Especially after facing one Big Purple Guy trying to wipe out half the universe and another big boss escaping his seal.
Not to mention another Doctor Strange absorbing many versions of himself from parallel universes.
All of that, placed on a high school student—it wasn't easy to accept.
Of course, after three "friendly" rounds of sparring with Wong, Ronan managed to recover.
At least the frustration of going to school was offset by the satisfaction of pummeling someone.
The streets of New York were perpetually congested.
It seemed big cities everywhere were like this.
Thanks to his enhanced cycling speed and reflexes, Ronan soon reached Stark Tower.
The Tower had been completely restored to its pre-battle state.
It was said that even the internal facilities had been upgraded, and the speed of this reconstruction was beyond anything a poor person like Ronan could fathom.
How long had it been, and such a huge building was already restored?
No wonder Tony Stark was one of the wealthiest individuals in the Marvel universe—money could indeed make miracles happen.
Speedy reconstruction, indeed.
Noticing the time on his wristwatch, Ronan saw he still had some to spare.
So, he rode over to a food cart on the left side of the plaza.
This was the only food cart allowed in the plaza outside Stark Tower.
The reason? Simple.
Tony Stark liked their cheeseburgers.
"Hello, welcome."
Seeing a customer approach, the plump owner smiled professionally.
Though he had Tony Stark backing him, he looked just like any other food vendor.
Which was a good thing.
Ronan glanced at the menu and couldn't help but twitch his mouth.
"Tony Stark's Favorite?" "Soulmate?"
"The Worst Combo?" What kind of names were these?
Seeing Ronan's confused look, the owner understood and quickly explained.
"The 'Tony Stark's Favorite' is our signature—the cheeseburger."
"Tony Stark himself called it the best cheeseburger in the world. It's unique!"
The owner even patted his chest, looking very proud.
"And the 'Soulmate' is also Mr. Stark's favorite dessert—a donut."
"As for the last one..."
When the owner mentioned the last item, he nervously glanced around.
Seeing no one else nearby, he relaxed.
"That one is the burger Mr. Stark hates the most, but it's our best seller."
"So, you know..."
The owner winked at Ronan, everything clear without needing words.
Ronan opened his mouth but didn't know what to say.
Should he praise the owner for his business savvy, or lament how one must bend to circumstances?
"What's in that combo?"
Ronan looked at the $15 price tag; it wasn't cheap.
Usually, a combo meal wouldn't cost that much.
In America, where fast food was king, you could get a burger for less than a dollar.
For five dollars, you could get a full combo meal with fried chicken, a burger, and other extras.
The price here seemed steep!
"The combo includes a double beef burger with my secret homemade sauce, and it's really great."
"Then there's a drink—Coke, coffee, or tea, your choice."
"And of course, there's the classic giant taco."
"Most importantly, everything—from the beef patty to the drink and taco—is homemade by me."
The owner went on and on, promoting his product.
Honestly, even with all these items, it wasn't worth the price, not even for something homemade.
But because he was at Stark Tower, he could charge that much.
Still, Ronan wasn't going to fuss over a little extra cash.
Since this was Tony Stark's most hated combo, Ronan was determined to get it! "Alright, give me the combo."
"I'll have a Coke."
Ronan took out three $5 bills and handed them to the owner.
As the owner took the money, he seemed to remember something.
"Kid, are you one of the Stark Industries internship candidates today?"
The owner looked at Ronan.
"Huh?"
"Owner, how do you even know that?"
If Ronan hadn't been sure that the owner showed no signs of special training, he might've suspected he was a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent.
Knowing even small things—talk about precise intel. "I heard it earlier, from the employees buying food at lunchtime."
"If you're here for an interview, I'd suggest getting the first product."
"It's also very good, and it's cheaper."
"I could even give you a free Coke."
The owner kindly suggested.
He was being subtle, but he was clearly telling Ronan it'd be better to buy the first burger.
But Ronan shook his head.
"I'll stick with this one."
Honestly, Ronan didn't care much about lunch or how good it tasted.
The important thing was this was Tony Stark's most hated combo.
He understood Tony Stark's personality.
If Tony disliked something someone did, he tended to dislike that person too.
Even if it was just the food they ate.
And Ronan had no desire to intern at Stark Industries. He just wanted to be a regular high school student.
So, to avoid exposing himself, Ronan had to start with the little things.
Like...
Ten minutes later!
With the "Worst Combo" fresh out of the oven, Ronan found a spot in the plaza and began eating.
Coincidentally, the spot was right along Tony Stark's path into the building.
It had to be said, the owner wasn't lying.
The freshly made beef burger wasn't just heavy—it tasted amazing.
The patty was juicy, and the sauce was quite unique.
No wonder the so-called "Worst Combo" was the most popular on the menu.
The guy had some skills.
Ronan took a bite, nodding in approval.
It was tasty, but after all, it was just a burger, and not a cheap one at that.
Eating it every day would get old, and he couldn't afford it.
No matter how much pocket money he made from "legitimate transactions" with Wong and others, he couldn't afford to eat like this daily.
The food back at Kamar-Taj was still the best! As he thought about it, a flashy red sports car sped past him.
It was incredibly fast.
Ronan glimpsed the car's license plate and smiled.
Tony Stark's personal ride.
A moment later, the red Audi came to a stop and reversed until it was right in front of Ronan.
The window rolled down, and Tony Stark's face, with his sunglasses on, appeared before Ronan.
Seeing this, Ronan didn't panic. Instead, he boldly showed off his burger and taco.
No, wait—he pretended to be very flustered, looking at Tony Stark with a face full of embarrassment.
Of course, the burger and taco remained raised in his hands.
An actor should always be dedicated, after all.
Even though Ronan couldn't match Star-Lord in singing or dancing.
And he wasn't the Rap god like Nick Fury.
But in basketball and acting, he considered himself a winner.
Tony Stark took off his sunglasses, looked at the burger in Ronan's hand, and then looked at Ronan.
"Kid, looks like you've got no taste."