Illuminati

As Blake and Tony walked out of the hospital room, they could hear Ivan Vanko cursing in a mix of Russian and English behind them.

The police officers outside looked tense, assuming Blake and Tony had done something to the prisoner.

But what really bothered Ivan Vanko wasn't that Tony had escaped palladium poisoning in the end—it was when Tony revealed his new arc reactor and explained its origins. At that moment, Ivan felt that his father had truly lost to Howard Stark, and that was something he couldn't accept.

In reality, those who are pushed aside from a project often believe all the credit belongs to them and think the person who replaced them is entirely unworthy. Ivan had always believed that Howard Stark was just a fame-seeking businessman, not a real scientist. He thought all of Stark's achievements came from his father and other scientists.

So when he learned that Tony's father had, decades ago, invented a new element and greatly improved the power of the arc reactor—only limited by the technology of the time—he found it hard to accept.

"Tony, that guy is now like a living arc reactor. Who knows how many people are after him? The stick you're holding might soon be taken by someone else," Blake said quietly to Tony as they walked out of the hospital.

These words came after much internal struggle. From the beginning, Blake believed his greatest advantage was being omniscient and omnipotent. Although he knew about the existence of the Time Variance Authority (TVA) from watching Loki's trailer before his transmigration, he always believed that with his system, he wouldn't be detected by them. But what the Ancient One said had changed his thinking.

He still didn't plan on deliberately changing the plot, but he also wouldn't rigidly follow it. He decided to act more naturally and freely. Since the butterfly effect had already started, he might as well let it unfold naturally.

So when Ivan Vanko was left in the hospital, Blake knew that if the original plot played out, he would likely still be rescued by Justin Hammer. Blake didn't mind having another fight later, but he chose to give Tony a small warning from a friend's perspective, since Ivan Vanko was primarily targeting Tony Stark.

"Should we inform Nick Fury and let him handle it?" Tony asked tentatively as they stood by the seaside outside the hospital, thinking for a while.

"Honestly, when it comes to protecting the world, I trust Nick Fury completely. But don't forget, Tony, he's backed by the World Security Council, which is full of politicians from various governments. You know how much the U.S. government covets your armor."

They had discussed this issue during their first trip to the Middle East, and had considered forming a secret organization that would be independent of S.H.I.E.L.D. and the Avengers. The goal would be to handle issues that faced obstacles in certain areas, to protect the world more freely and without constraints, or at least that's what they told themselves.

Their joint operation against the Ten Rings in the Middle East, and Blake's solo mission in Mexico where he took down drug cartels, were part of this effort. Of course, in Blake's case, it was more about taking their money.

"Actually, I already thought of a name and even created a mobile app!" Tony said, pulling out his phone. On the screen was an app labeled "Illuminati." (This is a reference to a potential Easter egg from *Iron Man 2* that Marvel never followed up on, especially since Iron Man has since died, so I'm filling it in here. However, the members would be different from the comics, as this is the movie universe.)

"Oh?" Blake looked at Tony's phone with great interest.

"I haven't fully developed it yet. It's actually a kind of chat and task-sharing app. When a crisis is detected, tasks can be uploaded and handled locally. The main purpose is to ensure secure communication!"

Before going to the Middle East, Blake had essentially planted a seed for the future independence of the Avengers. But after witnessing the massacre in the Middle East, his thinking changed slightly. He genuinely believed that some organizations and people needed to be dealt with using extreme measures.

After meeting the Ancient One, Blake's thoughts expanded even further.

But those concerns weren't important now. What mattered was that he and Tony had reached an agreement.

"Now I can add Ivan Vanko's name to the list," Tony said as he opened the app on his phone.

"You might as well cross off his name right away; he probably won't make it to tomorrow," Blake said, glancing back at the hospital.

"Boom!"

Just as the words left his mouth, a massive explosion occurred at the hospital across the street. The blast was so powerful that it blew apart a high-rise hospital building, shearing it in half. The shockwave swept through the entire street.

Reacting quickly, Blake turned and shielded Tony from the onslaught, blocking a barrage of steel, concrete, and other debris that could have been deadly to an ordinary person.

While Blake managed to block all the debris, the force of the shockwave still knocked both of them into the ocean.

"Phhh!" Blake and Tony surfaced, spitting out seawater. The entire hospital had been obliterated by the explosion, collapsing horizontally and crashing into a nearby building. Dust filled the streets, car alarms blared, and cries for help echoed from the wreckage.

"Let's rescue the survivors!" Tony said, his eyes filled with a complex mix of emotions as he glanced back at the hospital. This highly responsible Iron Man immediately blamed himself for what had happened.

Blake looked at Tony, didn't say a word, and swam over to their car, which was slowly sinking into the water. He punched into the trunk, retrieving Tony's Mark V armor.

With the help of Tony's suit's scanning functions and Blake's superhuman strength, the two of them, along with the arriving government agencies, managed to rescue everyone trapped under the rubble.

"Fifty-two seriously injured, thirty-seven dead, including a pregnant woman and five children. One person is missing."

Tony's face was terrifyingly grim as he reported the numbers to Blake.

Blake's expression was equally dark. Events like this might just be numbers on the news, but seeing the lives lost firsthand, especially those of children, was an experience that stirred one's blood.

"Ivan Vanko?" Blake didn't hesitate to say the name. With only one person missing, it could only be him.

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