Chapter 67: Iron Man (Final 4)

¿"I'm heading back. Let me know if you need anything," Daniel said as Obadiah Stane left in a huff. Stark had just returned and already made waves by announcing the closure of Stark Industries' weapons division. It was inevitable that the major shareholders would demand explanations.

Even Stark couldn't ignore their concerns indefinitely.

"I'll come find you in a few days," Stark said, wanting to say more but stopping himself.

"What are your plans now?" Pepper asked Stark quietly as they slipped away from Stark Industries and headed to the military base. From there, they flew directly to Stark's beachside mansion in California. Once inside the laboratory, Pepper voiced her worries. Shutting down the weapons division wouldn't bankrupt Stark Industries, but it would significantly reduce its value.

"Don't worry, we'll pivot to clean, pollution-free energy," Stark replied, directing JARVIS to start preparing the necessary equipment. Soon, Stark had assembled a new Arc Reactor and asked Pepper to help replace the one in his chest.

"What's going on? Why not go to a hospital?" Pepper asked, alarmed and ready to call an ambulance, but Stark stopped her.

"No need to worry. I'm fine. Just help me with this," Stark reassured her. The old Arc Reactor, handmade in a cave, had depleted its palladium and energy after powering the Mark I armor in battle. It was running dangerously low.

Reluctantly, Pepper agreed to assist Stark in replacing the reactor, despite her apprehension.

"This incident doesn't sit right with me. I need you to investigate our company's weapons distribution," Stark said after the replacement. Nearly killed by his own weapons, Stark couldn't let it go without uncovering the truth. He had his suspicions but needed solid evidence.

"I'll look into it," Pepper nodded.

"Be careful."

Once Pepper left, Stark turned his focus back to JARVIS and began inputting designs for a new Iron Man suit, refining the Mark I's schematics. He immediately set JARVIS to work fabricating the parts using the lab's 3D printers.

Despite his recent ordeal, Stark was eager to get started. Testing the new suit's components, he found himself drawn to the thrill of operating the Iron Man armor, even if it meant crashing repeatedly and damaging numerous luxury cars in the garage. Undeterred, he pressed on, consumed by his passion for the new suit.

The process took days, with Stark practically living in the lab. During this time, Pepper updated him on her investigation, and Obadiah Stane visited several times, urging Stark to reconsider or at least propose a new profitable direction for the company. But Stark, wary of Stane, kept the Arc Reactor project under wraps.

Meanwhile, at the Triskelion headquarters, Fury examined the Chocolate Frog boxes and magical cards on his desk, chuckling to himself.

"Isn't it ironic? We've been searching for extraterrestrials and ways to colonize space, only to discover that humans had methods to migrate to other worlds centuries ago. And here we are, still grounded," Fury mused aloud. He opened a Chocolate Frog box, but instead of catching it, the enchanted frog leaped onto his face and then onto the desk.

"What did the science division find?" Fury asked Hill without bothering to chase the frog.

"They detected a faint, unusual energy signature, but it dissipates upon interference," Hill reported. The Chocolate Frogs intended for Coulson, May, and even the Captain had all been sent to SHIELD's science division for analysis.

Hill, Coulson, and May remained silent.

"That's enough for now. Keep this under wraps. Coulson, continue investigating what happened with Stark," Fury ordered. The kidnapping of Stark was a serious matter. SHIELD couldn't ignore it, given Howard Stark's legacy and Captain America's revived presence.

"Yes, sir," Coulson replied, leaving the office. He didn't mention his numerous unanswered calls to Stark, knowing Fury was only interested in results, not efforts.

---

Back at Daniel's mansion, he was in a large room he had converted into a gaming room. Utilizing a holographic system, Daniel and the Red Queen were immersed in a game of Yu-Gi-Oh, their cards materializing as floating holograms. A massive Blue-Eyes White Dragon hovered before Daniel.

"My turn, I draw! I activate the magic card, Monster Reborn, to bring back Dragon Warrior. I then sacrifice Dragon Warrior and Earth Swordsman to summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Attack the Sealed Right Arm!" Daniel commanded. The dragon roared, but since the Sealed Right Arm was in defense mode, the opponent's life points remained untouched.

Red Queen responded with a flurry of moves. "I draw. I activate Monster Reborn to resurrect the Sealed Right Arm. I summon the Sealed Right Leg. I activate Pot of Greed and draw two cards. I activate Graceful Charity and draw three cards, then discard two. I summon Exodia, the Forbidden One." The powerful black magician appeared before her as she completed her hand with all five pieces of Exodia.

"No way! Are you cheating?" Daniel exclaimed, frustrated at his loss. He had never won against the Red Queen in Yu-Gi-Oh, but seeing Exodia summoned so easily seemed especially unfair.

"I do not cheat," the Red Queen responded coolly.

"Let's play another round. I refuse to keep losing!" Daniel was gearing up for a rematch when an alarm sounded from the garden.

"We have a guest. How unusual," Daniel noted. Living alone in such a large mansion, he took security very seriously. His measures were top-notch, especially after watching "Criminal Minds," which heightened his awareness of potential threats.

"Well, isn't this a rare visitor," Daniel said with a smile as he saw the intruder through the Red Queen's surveillance system—a silver Iron Man suit standing on the lawn. There was no doubt who it was.

Stopping the alarm, Daniel walked outside. The silver Iron Man suit, seeing him, opened its faceplate to reveal Stark inside.

"What's this?" Daniel asked, already knowing the answer but playing along.

"My latest invention. Want to race?" Stark challenged, a grin on his face.

"A race?"

"Yeah. Your magic broom versus my Iron Man suit. Let's see who's faster."

"You seem a bit annoyed," Daniel remarked, understanding that this was about proving which was superior—science or magic.

"Have you fixed the freezing problem at high altitudes?" Daniel teased, recalling that the suit Stark wore—likely the Mark II—had nearly crashed due to freezing during a high-altitude test.

"I'm ready. Give me a moment," Daniel said, heading back inside to grab his broomstick. "Too bad I can't use the Red Queen to scan his armor," he thought. With JARVIS on guard, any attempt to scan would likely be detected.

Returning with his broomstick, Daniel had also changed into black clothing and donned a black mask.

"Destination?"

"My beach house. Loser buys dinner."

"Deal."

"Ready, set, go!"

Stark's silver suit shot into the sky, leaving a silver streak. Daniel launched on his broomstick, keeping pace with Stark's suit. The Iron Man armor, capable of matching a jet fighter's speed, struggled to outdistance Daniel.

Ordinary wizards would find it challenging to keep up, but Daniel's enhanced physical capabilities allowed him to fly neck and neck with Stark.

"JARVIS, where is he?" Stark, unable to glance back during his high-speed flight, relied on his AI.

"He's right beside you, Mr. Stark," JARVIS indicated, marking Daniel's position on Stark's HUD.

"This is impossible. Give me full throttle," Stark ordered.

"Yes, sir."

"Good thing this is the Mark II. If it were the Mark III, I might not keep up. Should I cheat a bit?" Daniel mused, considering using Apparition to outpace Stark.

"No, let's just enjoy the race," he decided, exhilarated by the high-speed chase. There's something uniquely thrilling about racing at such speeds, much like the appeal of car racing. Stark, too, shared this thrill; otherwise, he wouldn't have taken the newly improved suit for a test flight so eagerly.

"You lose," Stark declared, landing first on the roof of his beach house. Opening his faceplate, he looked exhilarated.

"It's not the same," Daniel panted, landing and catching his breath. He had pushed himself hard in the race, and his body felt the strain. For an ordinary person—or even wizards like Dumbledore or Grindelwald—keeping up with Iron Man would have been impossible.

Flying is exhilarating, but it can't compare to the ease of spatial travel.

"Losing is losing. No excuses," Stark replied, heading downstairs to have JARVIS remove his armor.

Settling by his computer, Stark began reviewing the armor's design. Although he had won the race, it was a close call, and he was eager to make further improvements, including addressing the high-altitude freezing issue Daniel had mentioned.

"Room," Daniel murmured, using his Op-Op Fruit powers to examine the Mark II armor thoroughly.

Creating an Iron Man suit was feasible for others, but Stark's suits were unparalleled. The performance of Stark's Iron Man armors outclassed any similar designs.

For instance, Stark's Mark III could have easily defeated Obadiah Stane's Iron Monger if it hadn't run low on power. Comparing the two was like comparing a regular car to a Ferrari or Lamborghini.

"Showy as always," Daniel remarked, watching the new components Stark had printed in the lab being assembled and painted in a striking gold and red. Could there be a more flamboyant color scheme?

The Mark III, after further refinements, was

 ready for action. Sadly, the Mark II, despite its advanced features, would soon be relegated to a relic in Stark's collection, never seeing real combat.

The Mark III was significant for Daniel, as it would become the basis for Stark's subsequent armors. Future improvements would focus on flexibility, weaponry, and power until the advent of the nano suit. Up until then, the Mark III wouldn't be too outdated.

Having analyzed all the components, Daniel now understood how to build an Iron Man suit. With an Arc Reactor, he could become an Iron Man himself.

"I should find a way to get some vibranium from Wakanda. Maybe I can make a vibranium Iron Man suit, although the cost would be astronomical and not exactly discreet," Daniel thought. Constructing a suit entirely from vibranium would be exorbitantly expensive and impractical for even Stark's wealth. It would be too precious to risk damage.

Daniel also pondered adamantium, an even rarer metal. If he could get his hands on some, creating an adamantium Iron Man suit would be ideal. However, the formula for adamantium was lost. Howard Stark had accidentally created Captain America's shield by mixing elements haphazardly, and even he couldn't replicate it afterward.

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