Chapter 7

Just after the explosion, Tony and Ethan were startled when the door of their secret prison twisted into a knot. Suddenly, an Asian man wearing goggles and a black windbreaker appeared before them, smiling.

"Hello, Tony Stark, do you want to be my son?" The man grinned.

Tony, clearly caught off guard, blinked. The man quickly realized the awkwardness and added, "Sorry, just kidding. My name is Ted, and I'm here to rescue you on behalf of Pepper Potts."

Tony, still processing the bizarre entrance, pointed at Ted and asked, "Was that magic? Or something else? How did you just appear like that?"

Ted shrugged nonchalantly. "Just a little superpower, nothing to get excited about." He reached out to shake hands with Tony, but hesitated, remembering Stark's distaste for handshakes.

Ethan, who had been observing quietly, chimed in. "So, it seems we're saved. No need to worry about what's happening outside?"

Ted waved it off. "Nope. My team is taking care of that."

Just then, a figure zipped into the room—Quicksilver, Pietro Maximoff. His face twisted in anger, and he moved to strike Tony, his thoughts clearly filled with rage from his past.

Before Pietro could land a blow, Ted intervened, blocking his punch with ease. "Stop!" Ted shouted.

"Who's this angry white-haired guy?" Tony blurted, his arrogance rising in the face of danger. "He swings at me, and I'm deducting a rescue fee!"

Pietro's anger wasn't without reason. "You're the arms dealer who made the weapons that killed my family in Sokovia! You've caused enough death!"

Ted stepped in to clarify. "Tony, Pietro's family was among the victims of your company's missiles in Sokovia. It destroyed his home and his life."

Tony's expression darkened, guilt clouding his features. "I... I didn't know. I truly thought our weapons were used for defense. I've seen how wrong I was—my creations have caused so much pain. I swear I'll do better. I'll make it right, Pietro."

Pietro, still furious, saw the sincerity in Tony's remorse. Though his anger didn't dissipate entirely, he backed down.

Ted, seeing the situation calm down, asked, "Alright, Tony, hungry? You look like you could use a cheeseburger."

Quicksilver pulled out two cheeseburgers from his bag and tossed them to Tony and Ethan. Tony's eyes lit up as he unwrapped the burger. "How did you know I needed this? Just for this, I'm making you my new best friend."

Ted grinned, hearing a ding in his mind. His system had triggered.

"Congratulations! Tony Stark is now your friend."

"Do you wish to merge his attributes?"

Ted mentally responded, "No, not now."

As Tony and Ethan devoured their burgers, Ted used his system to scan Tony.

[Tony Stark]

Title: Iron Man

Race: Human

Favorability: One Star

Skills: Chemistry lv7, Physics lv10, R&D lv7, Cursed by Knowledge, Wisdom lv9, and much more…

Ted couldn't help but admire Tony's skillset, now knowing just how brilliant the man was.

Just then, the noise outside began to settle, replaced by the rhythmic clinking of Deadpool's swords.

"Ah, looks like the cleanup is done," Ted remarked. "Deadpool should have handled the goons."

Sure enough, Deadpool strode in with his signature flair, wielding two swords while his dog, Deadpool Jr., held a gun in his paws. "Don't worry, the bad guys are toast! You're safe now, Stark! And Ethan, congrats on the early release."

Ted chuckled at Deadpool's antics. "Tony, meet Deadpool. As you can see, he's... unique."

Tony glanced at Deadpool's suit, eyebrow raised. "Well, Ted, your partner's taste in fashion is… special."

"Hey, you can call me Deadpool, or dear, if you're feeling generous! With the right cash, I can do just about anything!" Deadpool winked.

Quicksilver groaned, clearly embarrassed by Deadpool's shamelessness.

Ted cut through the banter. "Enough. Time to get out of here. Mr. Stark, Mr. Ethan, you're free. I'll call for extraction."

Ted grabbed a satellite phone and called Pepper. "Ms. Potts, we've got Tony. Send the extraction team to the rendezvous point."

After a brief conversation, Ted handed the phone to Tony. Although Tony was still a bit dazed, he took the phone and spoke with Pepper.

After the call, Tony turned to Ted. His face softened, showing a rare moment of gratitude. "Thank you, Ted."

Ted gave him a nod. "Let's get out of here." Together, they packed up and made their way to the exit, ready for extraction.

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