Chapter 150: Doctor Strange Joins the Quiz

"My goodness, that was just too violent," Pepper Potts said, catching her breath after blasting Killian into the sky. Reflecting on what she had just done, she couldn't help feeling a bit scared.

"You scared me. I thought you..." Tony Stark looked at Pepper Potts.

"Thought I died?" Pepper Potts walked step by step towards Tony Stark. "Because I fell from 200 feet? Who's worse off now?"

"It's still undecided, but it might lean more towards your side," Tony Stark managed to crack a joke. "Why don't you wear that at home, like sportswear?"

"I guess now I understand why you didn't want to give up the armor," Pepper Potts said, "What do I have to complain about?"

"It's my fault, I was wrong," Tony Stark walked towards Pepper, but she quickly backed away, saying, "Don't touch me; I'll burn you."

"I won't," Tony Stark squeezed Pepper Potts' arm.

"So, I'm okay now?" Pepper Potts asked.

"No, as long as you're my girlfriend, you'll never be in danger," Tony Stark smiled, "But I think we can handle it. I researched this twenty years ago; I can make you better. I'm a professional repairman."

"Like fixing those armors?" Pepper Potts asked.

"Uh, I'll reduce it a bit," Tony Stark immediately called out to J.A.R.V.I.S., "J.A.R.V.I.S."

"Everything's taken care of, sir. Any other orders?" J.A.R.V.I.S.'s voice sounded.

"You know," Tony Stark said.

"Reinitialize the cleanup program," J.A.R.V.I.S. replied.

"Christmas clean-up, yes, exactly," Tony Stark hugged Pepper Potts.

Then, a shocking scene unfolded.

All the armors exploded in the night sky, as if putting on a grand fireworks display.

The video ended amidst this splendid "fireworks show."

"So, Stark didn't detonate all the armors as we thought. It was for Pepper, but not under any threat, but voluntarily," Steve Rogers said, "I have to say, this is the most expensive fireworks display in history."

"If we can measure love with money, then few women in the world can be happier than Pepper," James Rhodes said.

"I just want to say it's extravagant beyond reason," Sam Wilson was in awe, "So many armors, the money spent must be astronomical, and they were all detonated just like that."

"Although I don't understand love, I think this must be true love," Thor added.

[The current round of questions is over; prepare to return.]

The previously lively quiz space suddenly became deserted, with only Li Cheng remaining.

[Questioning completed; rewards will be distributed.]

[The host gains Professor X Charles Xavier's telepathic ability.]

[The host gains the ability to fly.]

...

"It's over just like that?" When he found himself outside the quiz space, T'Challa was completely bewildered.

He hadn't answered a single question until the end of the round!

So why did they bring him along?

"Thor, Stark, Rogers, Banner, I noticed that all the questions were about you four," T'Challa said to Tony Stark and the others with exasperation.

"Yes, all the questions were centered around you four," James Rhodes added, "Me, T'Challa, and Sam were just tagging along."

"Tagging along? At least you guys got to participate in the quiz. You answered the questions, and both Romanoff and I weren't even pulled in!" Clint Barton said, "We were left behind because of the quiz space!"

Due to their interaction in the quiz space, T'Challa and Tony Stark's group had developed a significantly closer relationship. With an absolute guarantee of secrecy, T'Challa immediately invited Tony Stark and the others to visit Wakanda.

After Tony Stark and the group followed T'Challa into Wakanda for a tour, they were thoroughly amazed by its advanced technology, which far surpassed its time and resembled a country straight out of a science fiction novel.

It was far from an exaggeration to call Wakanda the wealthiest country globally, but ironically, it was regarded as one of the world's poorest nations by the outside world, making everyone laugh at the thought.

With T'Challa's introduction, they also met a little girl named Shuri. Despite her young age, she was undoubtedly a genius, especially in the field of science. Her insights and inventions left Tony Stark highly impressed.

Previously, Tony Stark was the sole tech genius, but now there was Shuri. While she couldn't compare to Tony Stark in the field of armored suits, the "Hulkbuster" that was designed to subdue the Hulk didn't require combat abilities. Therefore, Shuri could simply modify the existing Hulkbuster designed by Tony Stark.

Even if they could create something with the same effect, it didn't necessarily have to be an armor.

Moreover, after discussing with Tony Stark, T'Challa decided to establish several armor production lines in Wakanda. With the imminent arrival of the Chitauri invasion, Tony couldn't possibly produce enough armors by himself. Besides, he needed time for research and couldn't waste it all on production.

Wakanda had sufficient technological capabilities and secrecy to handle the production. By relocating the production lines to Wakanda, Tony Stark could focus solely on developing the armors.

After leaving Wakanda, the team split into several groups. Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff went to capture Killian, Clint Barton went to find Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch, and the task of designing wings for Falcon was entrusted to Nick Fury.

As for Tony Stark, he went to find Stephen Strange.

This person, who captured Loki without showing his face and toyed with Thor without manipulating his emotions, had the most power among all the "Quiz Friends." Even Thor couldn't compare.

In the face of such power, Tony Stark naturally chose to visit in person.

"Hello, I'm looking for Stephen Strange," Tony Stark rushed to the hospital where Stephen Strange was located.

"Ah, it's Iron Man!" The nurse at the reception desk was almost about to scream in excitement upon seeing Tony Stark. But she quickly realized that she was in a hospital and needed to be quiet, so she covered her mouth.

"Iron Man, can I have your autograph?" The blushing nurse held out a notebook and a pen, looking expectantly at Tony Stark.

"It's an honor to give my autograph to such a beautiful girl," Tony Stark said as he scribbled his name on the paper.

"Thank you." The nurse collected the autograph and immediately picked up the phone. "Dr. Strange, someone wants to see you. What? An appointment? No, it's Tony Stark, Iron Man Tony Stark! Hello? Hello!"

After a series of actions, the nurse looked at Tony Stark somewhat apologetically. "Mr. Stark, Dr. Strange said you need to make an appointment."

"An appointment?" Tony Stark took off his sunglasses. What's going on? When did he, Tony Stark, need to make an appointment?

Countless politicians and business magnates begged to see him, but now he had to make an appointment with a doctor?

This was outrageous!

But considering that it was Doctor Strange, someone who casually manipulated Loki and Thor's body without touching their emotions, and that he might be invincible, Tony Stark forgave him.

Having power meant being able to do as one pleased.

"Then, help me make an appointment," Tony Stark said understandingly.

"Huh?" The nurse was astonished. Oh, man, Stephen Strange had quite the ego. Even Iron Man was obediently making an appointment just because he said so.

What's going on?

Could there be something going on between them?

No, it's impossible!

The nurse shook her head, shaking off the ridiculous idea from her mind.

"Help me make an appointment." Seeing the nurse still in a daze, Tony Stark repeated himself.

"Oh, sure." The nurse called Stephen Strange again, "Dr. Strange, Tony Stark wants to make an appointment. What? You have time now? Okay, okay, I'll tell him to come up right away."

After hanging up the phone, the nurse said somewhat helplessly, "Mr. Stark, Dr. Strange said..."

"I heard. He asked me to come up right away. Wasn't that what he asked earlier?" Tony Stark was also exasperated. "This Strange guy, is he always this annoying?"

"Dr. Strange's medical skills are top-notch. There's no one better than him in all of New York," the nurse led the way ahead, "Mr. Stark, please follow me."

Knock, knock, knock!

The nurse led Tony Stark to a room and knocked on the door.

"Come in." A voice came from inside, and it was exactly like the one in the video with the man wearing a red cloak.

"Oh, Mr. Stark, I've been keeping an eye on you since I learned on TV that there are shrapnels constantly trying to reach your heart," Stephen Strange stood up and said, "But at that time, even for me, your condition was extremely difficult. I couldn't guarantee saving you."

"Then why did you ask me to come up?" Tony Stark asked.

"Curiosity played a big part," Stephen Strange said, "Your condition was dire, the most challenging challenge for any doctor. I can assure you that no doctor in all of New York would dare to say that they could save you. But here you are, standing before me in good health. You were saved, in your own way. It's remarkable. You're a scientist, but you achieved something that even we doctors couldn't. Although you didn't use medical skills, it doesn't diminish my curiosity as a doctor towards you."

"So you just wanted to see me?" Tony Stark said.

"No, I want to create a new surgical plan for you," Stephen Strange pointed at the Arc Reactor in Tony Stark's chest. "When you had an accident earlier, I was helpless, but now I'm not the same as before. I believe I can save you, although it's a challenge for me. But life would be meaningless without challenges, right?"

"Alright then." Tony Stark's initial intention was not to seek medical treatment, but since Stephen Strange said he could save him, why not give it a try?

After all, no one likes to have so many shrapnels constantly trying to reach their heart.

Stephen Strange could be quite annoying sometimes, but he had to admit that the guy was powerful. After Tony Stark was pushed into the operating room, Stephen Strange successfully removed the shrapnels from his body.

In the original timeline, Tony Stark only dealt with the shrapnel problem after defeating Killian and detonating all the armors. But now, the issue was resolved early.

While Tony Stark was undergoing surgery and recovering, Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff easily captured Killian.

By this time, they had already started researching the Extremis virus and made some progress. Two enhanced beings had also been created under their command.

But with Steve Rogers and Natasha Romanoff working together, Killian was no match for them.

After the investigation, it turned out that Killian had no connection with the Ten Rings either.

On Clint Barton's side, he had already found Pietro Maximoff and Wanda Maximoff and successfully persuaded them to come to New York.

"Stark, Barton is almost here. Be prepared; those two siblings hold a grudge against you," Steve Rogers told Tony Stark in the hospital room.

"It's not really my fault." Tony Stark said with helplessness, "I haven't even met them, so I have no idea what I did to offend them."

"It's your weapons, Stark," Steve Rogers said, "Barton made it clear that the siblings' family died because of your weapons."

"Then they should hate the ones who fired the weapons!" Tony Stark retorted, "Why does it have to be about me?"

"I knew it would be like this. The high and mighty Stark would never admit his mistakes," a voice rang out, and a silver-haired young man strode into the room, followed by a girl who looked exactly like the Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch in the videos, just much younger.

"Pietro, Wanda," Clint Barton said, "Calm down! Promise me you'll stay calm, and I'll bring you to see Stark."

"I'm very calm," Pietro Maximoff said, "I came here just to share my dream with Mr. Stark."

"I'm sure it's not a good dream." Tony Stark said.

"We were ten years old at the time, and our whole family had just finished dinner," Pietro Maximoff looked into Wanda Maximoff's eyes, "The first shell hit the lower two floors, creating a hole in the floor. It was a big hole, and my parents fell into it. The whole building began to collapse, and I grabbed Wanda and rolled under the bed. Then the second shell came, but it didn't explode, it just stood there, three feet away from us."

"Wait, are you sure it was my work?" Tony Stark couldn't help but comment, "Are you sure it wasn't Hammer Industries' product? They can't even make a weapon that doesn't explode on its own!"

"There was a word on one side of the bomb, Stark," Pietro continued without paying attention to Tony Stark.

"We were trapped for two days," Wanda Maximoff continued, "Every time someone tried to rescue us, every time the bricks and debris moved, I felt the bomb would explode. We waited for two days, waiting for Tony Stark to come and kill us."

"Witch girl, don't you think it's strange to say that?" Tony Stark couldn't help but interject again, "Why would I want to kill you? Do I look like some deranged murderer?"

"Your weapons have killed thousands of people. If you're not a murderer, then what are you?" Wanda Maximoff looked at Tony Stark with hatred.

"May I ask what caused that explosion? Warlords fighting? Gang wars?" Tony Stark asked.

"Does it matter?" Wanda Maximoff said coldly, "My parents are dead."

"I know that, what I want to say is, even if I didn't sell weapons, even if there were no weapons with the name 'Stark' in this world, would your parents still be alive?" Tony Stark retorted, "Would that war not have happened? Warlords or gangs, even without the weapons I manufactured, they would buy weapons from elsewhere."

"Wanda, Tony is right. Stark was never the murderer of your parents, and he never started any wars," Steve Rogers also spoke up, "In the past two years, Stark has indeed killed people, but they were all despicable scum. He didn't harm innocent people; on the contrary, he protected them."

"To defend this murderer, you look so much like Captain America, but you lack his sense of justice," Pietro Maximoff said, pulling out a gun and pointing it at Tony Stark.

Steve Rogers raised his hand, ready to subdue the person, but Tony Stark yelled, "Captain! Don't interfere!"

"Are you sure?" Steve Rogers asked.

"Positive," Tony Stark replied.

"Alright." Steve Rogers stepped aside again.

"None of you should interfere," Tony Stark struggled to get off the bed, standing there and looking at Pietro Maximoff, "You're right, whether or not I was the one who started the war, it was my weapons that killed your parents. First of all, I apologize to you, sincerely sorry. But look me in the eyes and tell me, should I really be held responsible for your parents' death? Will killing me bring you closure?"

"The bomb had Stark written on it!" Pietro Maximoff shouted, "Because of that bomb, my parents died!"

"Then kill me." Tony Stark said, "Come on, I'm right here. Just move your finger, and you'll have avenged your parents."

"That's what you said. Don't think you can act all sympathetic, and I'll spare you!" Pietro Maximoff clenched the gun, his teeth gritted, but he couldn't bring himself to pull the trigger.

"I want to kill you! I must kill you!" Pietro Maximoff's hand started trembling, "For so many years, this is what I've yearned for in my dreams!"

"Then you have the chance now, why don't you shoot?" Tony Stark asked, "Because deep down, you know I'm not your enemy."

"Pietro, Stark is right. He's not your enemy," Clint Barton also spoke from the side, "Of course, he used to be an obnoxious arms dealer. But that was in the past, wasn't it? Five years ago, Stark changed. He shut down the highly profitable weapons division, he became Iron Man, he started protecting this world. You guys are so focused on Stark, don't tell me you're not aware of these things?"

"Kids, Stark hasn't harmed anyone, well, except for breaking a lot of hearts, but being a playboy isn't a capital offense." Steve Rogers added, "On the contrary, he saved a lot of people, many of whom were kids like you, who had suffered. Stark is not a killer; he is a hero. Are you sure you want to deprive other suffering kids of the chance to be saved because of your misplaced hatred?"

"Enough talking. I will shoot, I swear I will!" Pietro Maximoff took a couple of steps closer, the gun pointed at Tony Stark's head, "I swear, I will..."

"Oh my, who are you people? This is a hospital room; patients need peace and quiet. What's all this shouting about? Get out, all of you!" Stephen Strange, wearing a white coat, walked in and grabbed Pietro Maximoff by his collar, throwing him out.

Then, in one sweep, he expelled Wanda Maximoff, Steve Rogers, Clint Barton, and the others as well.

"Huh? That white-haired kid just now, he seemed to have a gun?" After kicking everyone out, Stephen Strange finally came back to his senses.

"Strange, you're awesome." Tony Stark said, admiringly giving Stephen Strange a thumbs-up.

"My medical skills have always been..." Stephen Strange hadn't finished speaking when he realized that he had come to a strange place. Everything was pitch-black, but strangely, it didn't affect his vision.

This was an endless void of darkness, as if it had swallowed the entire universe.

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[END OF CHAPTER]