Bruce Banner's tablet sat on the table.
At the moment JARVIS's voice spoke, a list appeared on the interface.
From first to twentieth place, with more rankings on the following pages.
"As expected, our Tony won again."
Banner casually closed the list.
A few streets away from the coffee shop, cheers erupted, mixed with a few curses. These were people who had placed bets through the live broadcast hub, guessing who would win the Iron Man Day championship.
Iron Man Day was a monthly free‑for‑all on the Dimension Continent. All Iron Men gathered in a reinforced combat zone secured by Wong for a melee. Whoever defeated all other Iron Men and stood last would be declared the winner.
All participants would be scored and ranked based on performance. The ranking didn't hold any official weight at first. It began when the Dimension Continent first opened. TVA agents from various Earths and specially selected individuals had come out of curiosity, building homes and laboratories, trading research and technology.
Among them were the various Iron Men. The first thing they did was compete to prove who had the smartest armor. Naturally, this began by comparing strengths and weaknesses. That sparked the first Iron Man melee. In the end, Tony Stark from S‑Universe won.
But Tony was stubborn, and few were satisfied with his victory. They believed that once they saw his research direction, they would catch up quickly. Thus came the second Iron Man war, which became known as Iron Man Day — a monthly event to crown the strongest Iron Man. Wong reinforced the battlefield, and with that, Iron Man Day gained official recognition.
Other "Days" followed: Hulk Day, Captain America Day, Wanda Day, Quicksilver Day, Mage Day, Thor Day, Loki Day, and more.
Today was the third Iron Man Day. Tony Stark once again won without surprise.
"Banner, Cap, you two here?"
With a bang, Tony landed before the coffee shop in his Anti‑Superman armor. Its plates flowed inward like liquid as the suit retracted, and he pulled out a chair and sat down.
"JARVIS, get me a coffee, two spoons of sugar, thirty milliliters of milk." Tony motioned toward the robot behind the counter.
Then, excitedly, he looked at Banner and Captain America.
"How about that? I won again, effortlessly. The Iron Men from other Earths are just too weak. It proves I really am the smartest one."
Tony spoke casually, though his raised eyebrows betrayed his excitement. Defeating alternate versions of himself made him want to tell anyone who would listen. Banner and Captain America exchanged looks that said just as expected. They knew Tony was going to brag.
He still remembered the first time Tony won Iron Man Day. Tony had put a "Multiverse's First Iron Man" sticker on his armor and proudly walked from one end of the settlement to the other, greeting everyone loudly, then pretending to be surprised when they knew he'd won.
Because of that, Tony had become one of the most connected people in the current TVA, second only to JARVIS and Wong.
"Gulp… gulp…"
After telling them how he had defeated every other Iron Man, Tony drank the coffee JARVIS brought him all at once. He tapped the cup on the table with satisfaction. "This coffee brewed with spring water is amazing. It really relieves fatigue and tastes wonderful."
Tony had consumed so much Zeus spring water that additional vitality no longer transformed his body. Now he drank coffee simply to relax — a luxury for most. A cup cost five Dimension Coins, which were only earned by TVA agents completing missions on the Dimension Continent or saving worlds. Saving an Earth through world integration usually earned fifty Dimension Coins. A recent high‑reward mission — assisting Black Strange in attacking Hades's Hell Dimension — offered five hundred Dimension Coins, but its Skyfather‑level entry requirement meant few could attempt it.
Everyone's Dimension Coin supply was usually low. If they got a little, they spent it fast — Zeus spring water coffee, gene‑enhancement fluid, gourmet cells, high‑grade food, all sold for Dimension Coins thanks to Wong's provisioning.
Even Galan, far above Cosmic level, earned Dimension Coins after consuming gourmet food Wong brought back from the "Toriko" world.
Only a few didn't worry about Dimension Coins — and Tony was one of them.
"Sir, your current credit limit has reached one thousand seven hundred and fifty‑five Dimension Coins," JARVIS's robot announced, recording the tab. "Will you be paying now or charging it? Please note if debt gets too high, you may be removed from the Dimension Continent."
Tony waved dismissively, "Put it on my tab. It's just over a thousand — I'll settle it later." He carried himself like a billionaire used to spending lavishly, even here. Anyone affected by the coffee during Iron Man Day could put theirs on his tab, a gesture that only highlighted his extravagance. Other Iron Men were envious to the point of gnashing their teeth, unaware that no matter how much debt Tony accrued, Wong would never have him expelled.
"Alright, sir." JARVIS recorded the debt and sent the robot back to the counter.
Banner and Captain America exchanged glances once more.
"Tony, since Iron Man Day is over, let's start the mission we agreed on," Banner said.
"All set," Tony replied, spreading his hands. "Where are the others? Are they ready?"
"Pietro and the rest are on our Earth. I'll notify them to come." Banner worked on his tablet.
Tony chuckled, "If they'd bet on me today, they would have made a huge profit in Dimension Coins."
"In fact, everyone bet on you, so no one made money… They're coming now."
Banner finished his coffee and stood. Minutes later, the Avengers from S‑Universe stepped through the portal to the mission world.
"Is there a description for this mission?" Hawkeye asked.
"It looks like an Earth is ruled by a rogue anti‑hero, and the heroes there are forced to hide in the shadows," Banner replied.
"Our mission is to calm this anti‑hero, and then, as usual, gain the trust of the heroes," he added.
"What's the anti‑hero's name?" Captain America asked.
"His name is Robert Reynolds."
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