Ch: 51-60
Chapter 51 I'm the main C, you just shout 666
Steve smiled indifferently, "A search warrant, huh? Wait, I'll have someone write one for you right away!"
With that, Steve picked up the phone and called an official lurking in the legal department, ordering them to prepare a search warrant for Hammer Industries within half an hour, then hung up.
"No, buddy! That's it? A search warrant has to be formally applied for, right?"
Tony leaned back, wondering if his uncle had more connections than he did. Although he could use Stark Industries' connections to get a search warrant for Hammer Industries, he would still have to wait for some time for the warrant to come through.
It was absolutely impossible to be like Steve, brazenly ordering someone to help and only giving them half an hour!
Who do you think you are, the President?!
It was utterly outrageous, like his grandma taking outrageous surfing, truly Trump-like!
Steve looked at Tony's dumbfounded expression and smiled smugly, "In principle, no, but I'm sorry, my fist is big, and my power is equally big, so what I say is the principle!"
Tony was speechless upon hearing this and gave Steve a thumbs-up.
"Alright, no more worries now, right? If there are no worries, stop the nonsense, go go go, let's go together!"
Tony quickly stopped Steve, who was about to take off, and said helplessly, "Why are you more eager than me? Even if we have a search warrant, we still need to formulate a battle plan and then gather the agency members for a group operation!"
Steve scoffed:
"A plan? In the face of absolute strength, any plan is useless. My plan is, I go in and crush Obadiah and Ivan Vanko's heads, and you just cheer me on from behind!"
Tony twitched his lips: "First, that's not a plan at all.
Second, are you serious about us cheering? '666' is a symbol of the Devil Satan!"
Steve sneered, "Heh, for these two guys who dared to attack me, aren't I the Satan who is about to send them to hell?!"
Tony was stunned by the remark; it seemed… that made sense?
Thinking of this, Tony no longer hesitated and agreed.
"Since Captain has spoken, what else can I say? Let's go! Let's get them!"
Tony was never one to stick to convention, and now that he met an even more unconventional Steve, he was also fired up!
With that, Tony reached out to put on the briefcase portable armor.
Now it was Steve's turn to stop him.
"Are you out of your mind? This thing is as thin as a wafer cookie. Are you really planning to wear this?"
Although the MK5 was cool, in the original work, Ivan Vanko almost broke through its defenses with his arc reactor whips!
Now, who knows how many Iron Mechs Ivan Vanko had created in Hammer Industries, Tony wearing this was simply asking for trouble.
Tony's hands kept moving, and he rolled his eyes at Steve, saying leisurely:
"Don't worry, I'm not that idiotic. The MK3 was almost done with its modifications when I left, and half an hour is enough to remanufacture the helmet."
"Moreover, this armor isn't as weak as you think. With Hammer Industries' trashy industrial level, I believe the armor Ivan Vanko made there isn't as durable as my 'wafer cookie' armor!"
Steve listened and thought it made sense, it seemed to be the case.
In the original work, whether it was Hammer's trump card missile, 'Ex-Wife,' or the mechs Ivan Vankomass-produced at Hammer Industries, their quality seemed very concerning.
The 'Ex-Wife' was a dud, and those mechs were taken down by Tony and Rhodes one after another, both of them wiping them out.
At most, Ivan Vanko's own armor was of better quality.
Thinking of this, Steve no longer stopped Tony but instead showed a sinister smile:
"Then you'll be responsible for jungling and cheering later, I'll handle that bastard Ivan Vanko. He dared to blow up my house into a Syrian style, I'll make him see why flowers are so red!"
Tony shrugged, indicating no objection. He picked up the briefcase from the ground, placed it on his chest, and the briefcase began to extend from his chest, covering his entire body. Finally, the silver iron mask was put on, and the silver and red slim-fit armor made a handsome appearance!
No matter how many times he saw it, it still looked incredibly cool!
Steve stared enviously at the MK5, secretly vowing again.
Next time, he must get his hands on this armor!
Meanwhile, on two fronts.
Steve and Tony were heading towards Hammer Industries, while inside the Hammer Industries factory, Obadiah Stane, Ivan Vanko, and Justin Hammer were gathered together.
The three had different expressions: Obadiah looked gloomy, Ivan Vanko looked confident, and Hammer's face showed a mix of joy and worry.
Obadiah stared at Ivan Vanko, saying in a deep voice:
"Damn it! Ivan, how many times have I told you, this is our crucial moment to rise again, why did you not listen and attack Captain America and Pepper Potts at this time?!"
Ivan Vanko said confidently, "This is also part of the revenge. Tony Stark made me lose everything, and I will make him lose everything too!
Although the attack failed, you don't have to worry, I set up a self-destruct program in the mech. If the mission fails, it will self-destruct, and they won't be able to trace it back to us!"
Hammer's face showed a mix of joy and worry: "Is it really okay? You guaranteed me that you would make Hammer Industries surpass Stark Industries in one fell swoop, that's why I risked harboring federal fugitives to take you in!"
Hammer was in a complex mood now, both joyful about the Hammer Industries land, sea, and air mechs that were about to shine at the Stark Expo, and worried that his cooperation with these two madmen would lead him to eternal damnation.
It seems that after using these two guys, he would have to find a way to kick them out of Hammer Industries.
Obadiah and Ivan Vanko exchanged glances, and a hint of mockery towards Hammer flashed in their eyes simultaneously.
This cowardly guy, no wonder he could never surpass Tony Stark and was destined to be a perpetual second-place.
As an arms dealer, he was indecisive and cowardly like a sissy. How could such a person achieve anything great!
Obadiah glared sinisterly at Hammer from behind him, his ambition swelling.
After killing Tony, not only will I reclaim Stark Industries, but I will also take Hammer Industries, and you, this coward, will become the stepping stone for my Stane Industries!
Little brother, why don't you look behind you?
Behind Obadiah, Ivan Vanko sneered at the two, his eyes devoid of emotion, filled only with killing intent.
Just two puppets of mine, yet they actually take themselves seriously?
After I kill Tony, the next will be you two, and then the entire America. I'm not just seeking revenge against Tony Stark, but against the entire America!
A team of three, three hearts, with no unity at all, only mutual exploitation and backstabbing, just like poison in a insanity, only the last winner can survive!
And the winner, of course, is…
Boom~ Boom boom boom boom~~~
Above Hammer Industries, under the colorful heat haze of the Sun, a tall Shadow descended like a Kamida (God)!
Chapter 52 Do you know who I am? I don't care who you are!
Steve Rogers floated in mid-air, his ears twitching slightly, and the conversation of Ivan Vanko and the other two below clearly reached his ears.
Although he didn't possess Super Hero hearing like Superman, which could monitor the entire globe, his physique of 26 points granted him 'pseudo' Super Hero hearing, allowing him to clearly hear any rustle within a kilometer!
Within a kilometer, even if someone farted, he could pinpoint their location.
After locating Ivan Vanko and Obadiah, Steve Rogers's lips curved into a pure, boyish smile, much like Homelander's.
Ivan Vanko, you dared to bomb my house, huh!
If you don't run later, you're awesome. If you manage to run, you're even more awesome!
Burning with rage, Steve Rogers didn't wait for Tony Stark, who was a step behind him due to the MK5's lower speed. He crashed through the factory roof first, landing with a resounding thud in a classic Super Hero pose!
"Ivan Vanko, you bastard, I finally caught you..."
Steve Rogers looked up, his harsh words suddenly coming to an abrupt halt.
Before him were not only Ivan Vanko and the other two, but also dozens of meticulously arranged three-meter-tall mechs in black, silver, gray, and blue, arrayed in four neat rows within the warehouse.
These were precisely the mechs that Hammer Industries was about to exhibit at the Stark Expo: the Navy, Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps variants!
Steve Rogers's face darkened at the sight.
Damn it, this was the drawback of having only pseudo Super Hero hearing and no X-ray vision; he could only hear the sounds inside, completely unaware of the specific situation.
And who would have thought these guys would hold a meeting in a mech warehouse, of all places!
Ivan Vanko's fleshy face twisted into a sneer: "Heh, I didn't expect you to actually dare to come, and alone at that. You're practically seeking death!"
With that, Ivan Vanko raised his hand and pointed at Steve Rogers. Dozens of mechs in the warehouse simultaneously moved, surrounding Steve Rogers, with various heavy machine guns and missiles aimed at him.
Hammer, who had been bewildered, watched as the mechs moved on their own, immediately grew anxious, and questioned Ivan Vanko:
"Hey, hey, hey! You bastard, wait a minute! How can you control all the mechs? Didn't you say the highest control authority for these mechs was with me?"
Ivan Vanko merely glanced contemptuously at Hammer, not even bothering to answer his foolish question.
This guy, a weapons dealer, is so naive. He believes whatever he's told. How has this idiot survived until now?
Obadiah also had no interest in dealing with Hammer. The stupider this guy was, the easier it would be for him to acquire Hammer Industries later, which was a good thing for him!
Seeing that no one was paying attention to him, Hammer shouted at the two in exasperation:
"And even if you're going to fight, don't do it in my warehouse! Do you know each of these mechs is worth billions? What if they accidentally damage each other!"
"Forget it, both of you just stay put. I'll handle this!"
Hammer first glared fiercely at Ivan Vanko and Obadiah, whom he considered mere tools, then turned and walked towards Steve Rogers, raising his arrogant chin:
"Hey! How did you get in here? Do you know where this is? Do you know who I am?"
"I don't care who You are, get out of the way!"
Smack!
Steve Rogers slapped Hammer more than ten meters away and looked at Ivan Vanko and the other: "Where did this idiot come from? Don't your friends know I can fight?"
The two were indifferent to Hammer, who had been slapped away by Steve Rogers and whose fate was unknown.
Ivan Vanko, toothpick in mouth, shrugged: "Just a stray idiot I picked up on the side of the road, someone I can discard at any time. He doesn't deserve to be my friend."
Obadiah, with a smile on his face, clapped his hands:
"Hey, look who it is? Steve Rogers, America's greatest hero. I was a loyal fan of yours when I was a kid.
Let's get acquainted, my name is Obadiah Stane. Perhaps we can be friends!"
A treacherous warrior, a treacherous businessman; neither of them was any good.
Steve Rogers crossed his arms, his eyes full of disdain: "Alright, baldy, now stick out that head of yours with the hair on your chin. If your hard-boiled egg doesn't burst when I punch it, then I'll be your friend, how about it?"
Obadiah's smile slowly vanished upon hearing this, and his expression turned gloomy.
"Hmph! So you're saying there's nothing to discuss?"
With that, Obadiah took out a wrist-watch-like device and put it on his hand.
Holy crap, is this a Kamen Rider crossover?
Steve Rogers's eyes narrowed. He had noticed just now that Ivan Vanko was also wearing a similar device on his hand, and he had used that wrist-watch-like device to control the surrounding mechs.
Boom——————
However, before Obadiah could complete his 'transformation,' there was another loud crash from the warehouse ceiling, and Tony Stark, in his MK5 suit, arrived belatedly, kicking Obadiah away.
Steve Rogers quietly relaxed his tensed leg. Even if Tony Stark hadn't shown up, he would have made his move.
After all, who would just stand by and watch their opponent transform in front of them? Do they really think this is a tokusatsu show?
Tony Stark had learned his lesson this time, knowing that villains die from talking too much, so he acted first before speaking. He said coldly to Obadiah, who lay motionless on the ground after being kicked away:
"Obadiah, if you want to talk, you can go to hell and talk to the innocent civilians who died because you illegally sold Stark Industries' weapons!"
A large part of Stark Industries' previously terrible reputation was due to Obadiah selling weapons to Terrorists!
That baldy earned the money, but Tony Stark had to bear the blame and hatred!
However, before Tony Stark could finish him off, a roar came.
"Tony Stark, you're finally here! I've been waiting for you for a long time!!!"
Ivan Vanko stared intently at Tony Stark, as if he wanted to tear him to pieces with his gaze!
Tony Stark turned to look at Ivan Vanko, his face no better.
"You are Ivan Vanko?"
Although he hadn't seen Ivan Vanko in Zhenren (Immortal), Tony Stark had deeply imprinted his profile picture in his mind.
In some ways, his killing intent towards Ivan Vanko was even stronger than towards Obadiah!
No matter how much evil Obadiah had done using Stark Industries, he had never laid hands on the people around Tony Stark.
But this guy had attacked him and those around him multiple times, and he had long since resolved to kill Ivan Vanko!
When enemies meet, eyes turn red!
Tony Stark raised his hand and, without a word, unleashed a repulsor blast at Ivan Vanko's head, showing no mercy!
Bang——————
Clang——————
Unfortunately, Ivan Vanko was not successfully ambushed by Tony Stark like Obadiah. A tall figure blocked in front of him, taking the blow for him!
"Did you think I would be as unprepared as those two idiots? I made them; I already had a backup plan!"
Chapter 53: The machines are weak, the flesh and blood ascends!
Ivan Vanko sneered, raising his arm adorned with the control device.
"Tony Stark, what era are we in? Still playing with outdated wearable armor? Modern times call for modern tactics; drones are the true new era!"
As he spoke, Ivan Vanko's arm controller glowed red, and the eyes of dozens of mechs, which had been surrounding Tony and Steve, simultaneously lit up red, activating combat mode.
"Fire!!!"
As Ivan Vanko's command fell, fire instantly became the only dominant color in this space. All items in the warehouse seemed to turn into paper under the orange-red fire dragons shot by dozens of mechs, easily torn to shreds by large-caliber bullets!
Even Tony, in his Iron Man armor, didn't dare to take the hits head-on, only able to continuously dodge the pursuit and tearing of dozens of ammunition fire dragons by relying on the flexibility of his armor.
And what was our Captain Rogers doing?
What?! Captain Rogers was actually warming up!!
Steve bathed in the metal storm without the slightest evasion, even having the leisure to stretch his limbs.
Bullets hitting him only sparked on his Biological Force Field, causing no damage whatsoever!
"Oi, Tony, watch closely, your uncle here will show you today what mechanical weakness and flesh ascension mean!"
Steve grinned at Tony, who was still clumsily dodging in his Iron Man armor, revealing his shining White teeth. He crouched low, right hand forward, left hand back, striking a train-like starting pose.
"Gogogo, the locomotive is coming!"
Whoosh—
With a violent whoosh, the ground beneath Steve's feet cracked, and he instantly vanished from his spot, leaving a trailing Shadow like a speeding hundred-ton king, crashing into the mech swarm!
The collision of flesh and metal, for the first time, saw a reversal!
When the two collided, Steve, with his flesh and blood body, was unharmed, while the metal mechs were shattered into pieces!
Another Zero from a black-robed Universe expressed: Yes! That's the feeling!
And Steve was even more powerful than a locomotive; after smashing one mech, he didn't lose momentum, smashing three mechs in a row before finally skidding to a halt, leaving a long mark on the ground!
Steve's first full-speed run made him excitedly hoot:
"Wow! Awesome!!!"
Ivan Vanko's perpetually confident expression finally darkened as he saw three of his mechs lost in an instant.
Suka, how is this guy even stronger than during the morning attack?!
This morning, he only sent out one mech and could hold the opponent for a while.
Now this guy can take out three of his mechs at once!
It seems if he doesn't take out this monster-like guy first, he won't be able to kill Tony Stark for revenge today!
With this thought, Ivan controlled all mechs to lock onto Steve as their target, while he himself controlled his hidden secret big guy to rush over!
Facing dozens of red glowing eyes fixed on him, Steve not only felt no fear but instead showed a bloodthirsty, excited smile.
Ever since he became Captain America, because he had been constantly growing stronger, he basically dominated every battle he faced; the opponent simply had no power to match him.
While such battles were thrilling for a while, they eventually became boring over time.
And these mechs, with their hundred-ton strength, would undoubtedly allow him to have a truly satisfying experience this time!
"Come on, fight! Awesome!"
Steve turned and, with a quick stride, rushed back into the mech swarm, like a tiger entering a pack of wolves, engaging in the most primitive hand-to-hand combat with dozens of mechs.
You ask why such high-tech mechs still engage in hand-to-hand combat with Steve?
Actually, it's not that the mechs don't use thermal weapons, but rather that bullets are useless against Steve, and missiles at such close range are prone to friendly Fire.
So Ivan Vanko could only control the mechs to surround Steve, hoping to wear down this monster with numerical superiority!
However, looking at the mech swarm with parts and fragments flying everywhere, Ivan Vanko highly doubted whether the mechs were surrounding Steve, or if Steve alone was surrounding all his mechs!
Steve alone withstood the pressure of dozens of mechs, finally allowing Tony to escape from the hail of bullets, cursing inwardly.
Damn it, after this, he also needed to build an army of Iron Man armors; in the future, he would also control a mech swarm to gang up on others!
Tony hovered in mid-air, looking down at Ivan Vanko from above, and sneered:
"Heh! You seemed to be having a lot of fun just now, didn't you? Now that you don't have your big toys protecting you, it's my turn, isn't it!"
Facing Tony in his Iron Man armor, Ivan Vanko, without a single mech to protect him, showed no panic. He slowly reached out and made a grasping motion in the air towards Tony.
"Your turn? No, this is my second turn!"
Boom—
Another roar. This time, it wasn't the unfortunate ceiling getting another hole; instead, a massive steel hand burst out of the floor, grabbing Tony's legs in mid-air.
Before Tony could react, a huge pulling force came from his legs, followed by a dizzying sensation!
A towering mech, also at least three meters tall but clearly of much higher quality than the previous mass-produced models, emerged from the ground. Holding Tony's legs, it slammed him violently against the ground several times, left and right!
Thud—thud—thud—thud—
Then, it flung Tony away like trash!
Tony, aching all over inside his MK5, his eyes cleared, and after catching his breath, he spoke: "Jarvis, check my injuries. Why do I feel like I can't move..."
"Sir, You have multiple bone fractures and contusions, no life-threatening injuries, but I'm sorry, I...zzzt...zzzt..."
"Alright, a very thorough check. Looks like it's not my problem, MK5 is scrapped, and I'm stuck inside!"
The Iron Man armor's ridiculously unscientific shock absorption prevented Tony from losing mobility despite the violent smashing; he was merely confined by the damaged armor.
However, the MK5 was ultimately just a flimsy portable armor; one hit caused it to lose all mobility. Another hit, and Tony would definitely not be so lucky!
Looking at the massive steel foot stomping towards him, Tony's voice rose:
"Activate armor ejection mode, quick!!!"
The MK5's emergency ejection activated, narrowly ejecting Tony and saving him from being flattened into a meaty wafer cookie along with the MK5!
The new mech didn't crush Tony with one stomp, and Ivan Vanko didn't rush to pursue. Instead, he controlled the mech's back cockpit to open, and he entered it.
He wanted to personally savor the pleasure of revenge, watching Tony's despairing expression before his Death!
"Stark, tell me, who now has lost his toys and become a lamb to the slaughter?!"
Tony slowly got up from the ground, a defiant smile playing on his lips, and he gave Ivan Vanko the middle finger.
"Still You, You stupid Russian!"
The next second, Ivan Vanko, who had just entered the mech, was suddenly sent flying from behind.
A red and gold armor with a triangular Arc Reactor on its chest stopped in front of Tony and opened its cockpit.
Tony stepped inside, completing the donning in an instant!
The MK4 combat armor, making its debut!
Chapter 54 Tony: Uncle, save me!
Clang!
As the gold faceplate of the MK4 armor closed, blue light burst from Tony's eyes.
He had once again transformed into the sharp-edged Iron Man!
"Now this is a truly fair fight, you piece of trash!"
A confident smirk played on Tony's lips beneath the mask. His legs bent slightly, and the thrusters activated. He lunged at Ivan Vanko with a fierce rising uppercut!
Boom——————
This punch was earth-shattering!
Ivan Vanko's Whiplash armor, which was more than twice the size of Tony's MK4, was struck on the chin by the smaller MK4 and sent flying into the air!
"How is this possible?!"
Ivan Vanko, beneath his Whiplash mask, was filled with disbelief.
They were both powered by Arc Reactors, so how could Stark's armor have so much more power than his own?!
Tony wouldn't be like certain protagonists or villains who, despite having the advantage, insist on explaining a bunch of nonsense to their opponent, only to be counter-killed.
With the enemy airborne, how could Tony miss such a good opportunity? He immediately pursued, launching a combo attack!
He delivered a left hook to Ivan Vanko's mech head, then a right hook, followed by raising both fists together and smashing them down with full force on Ivan Vanko's head!
DUANG!!!
With a clang of metal, Ivan Vanko was heavily slammed into the ground by Tony.
But that wasn't all.
The triangular new Arc Reactor on Tony's chest glowed intensely blue. After a brief charge, a thick blue beam of light shot onto Ivan Vanko's Whiplash mech on the ground. The immense energy impact directly pressed it into the earth, creating a man-shaped hole!
Still maintaining his excellent habit of fighting first and mocking later, Tony sneered at the man-shaped crater Ivan Vanko had made in the ground:
"You said earlier that the new era should use drone mechs, and wearable armor was outdated. You had a point, but not much of one!
Today I'll tell you, for Iron Man armor, the new energy in the new era is the most important part!
The Arc Reactor technology your father took from Stark Industries is a thing of the past, and the new era will be ushered in by the new element discovered by my father, Howard!"
Tony puffed out his chest, like a victorious rooster, proudly displaying the new element Arc Reactor on his chest.
In terms of power, the strength bonus the new element gave Tony's armor was in no way inferior to Ivan Vanko's armor, which relied on sheer size!
In terms of speed, Tony's wearable, form-fitting armor was incomparable to Ivan Vanko's clumsy mech.
In terms of defense, don't even joke about it; Ivan Vanko's clumsy mech couldn't even touch him!
In terms of energy output, Tesseract element, kid!
It could be said that, apart from size, Tony in the MK4 completely crushed Ivan Vanko. He had no power to retaliate against Tony!
The battle ended, and applause rang out.
Clap clap clap————————
"That was truly a satisfying chicken-pecking contest. I thought you couldn't even beat this trash and would cry for help from your Uncle Rogers~"
Steve sat on a small mountain made of the remnants of the Iron Man mechs, teasing Tony with a relaxed tone.
Ivan Vanko's, or rather, Hammer Industries' group of Iron Man mechs, while impressive in appearance, were truly concerning in quality.
Steve basically took them out one by one, and dozens of mechs quickly became 'mech souls' under his hand, forming a 'mech' mountain and 'oil' sea.
Humor.
Tony gave Steve a middle finger:
"Screw you, Steve! Even if I, Tony Stark, get beaten to death today, even if my MK4 gets torn to shreds, I won't ask you, you bastard, for help!"
Steve raised an eyebrow, the smile on his face gradually turning into that of a mischievous uncle: "Oh? Are you sure?"
Tony looked confident: "Of course I'm sure! Obadiah and Ivan Vanko have both been dealt with by me. Is there anyone else who can threaten me?"
Upon hearing this, Steve leaned back comfortably on the pile of mech corpses and leisurely said:
"Didn't you notice? Although you were decisive this time, you still made a fatal mistake, and you made this mistake twice in a row..."
"What mistake?" Tony asked subconsciously.
"Finishing blow~"
No sooner had Steve spoken than Tony suddenly felt the sky darken. He looked up to see a silver-white armor, even larger than Ivan Vanko's armor, break through the ceiling and descend from the sky, crashing towards him!
Tony was about to dodge when an iron hand reached out from the ground beneath him, gripping his ankle tightly!
Motherfucker! Second time!
He was actually grabbed from underground again!
With a tiger above and a wolf below, Tony realized he had nowhere to escape. He knew it was time to use his ultimate move!
Taking a deep breath, settling his qi in his dantian, Tony opened the armor's amplification function and shouted:
"Uncle, save me!!!"
It was unlikely for the proud Tony to actively ask for help, but it was also unlikely for Tony not to actively ask for help in such a desperate situation.
Tony, who was stubborn a minute ago, quickly gave in.
Whoosh——————
Obadiah, who was ambushing Tony from above, only saw a blur. A figure with blond hair and blue clothes appeared in front of Tony as if teleporting, and with just one hand, he blocked the powerful, mountain-crushing attack of the iron monger that Obadiah was piloting!
"Kid, this is the second serious mistake you've made today. You stumbled once, but didn't learn!"
"A Saint Seiya never falls to the same move twice, yet you've been successfully ambushed from underground by the same armor twice. You're really terrible!"
Teacher Rogers lectured student Tony for a bit, then lifted his foot and stomped, shattering the steel arm that was gripping Tony's ankle. He grabbed Tony's back and flung him out of the combat zone.
"Now, switch places!"
Steve never played favorites. Since he had stomped on Ivan Vanko's hand below, he naturally wouldn't neglect Obadiah, whom he was holding up with one hand.
His hand, which wasn't steel but was comparable to steel, suddenly exerted force. Amidst a teeth-grinding metallic screech, the iron monger's entire foot was crushed into a lump of scrap metal by Steve!
Steve's five fingers dug deeply into the iron monger's twisted foot, and his other hand plunged into the ground as if it were tofu, pulling Ivan Vanko out from underground like a gopher!
"You two like to play sneak attacks, you like to play Hulk smash, huh?"
"My big nephew is too embarrassed to play, so come on, I'll play with you!"
Steve ignored their frantic struggles, letting their counterattacks tickle him. He slowly rose into the air, carrying the two massive armors, one black and one silver, a cruel smile on his lips.
"Gentlemen, ready? Captain America's giant pendulum is coming~"
Obadiah, Ivan Vanko: "You damn bastard, let us go, I'll screw @*#%&....."
The more unprintable their curses, the more excited Steve became!
He raised both hands, left hand, right hand, a slow motion; left hand, right hand, slow motion replay, continuously slamming the two heavily into the ground!
Chapter 55 Rogers Industries?
Under Steve's starting strength of up to 200T, Ivan Vanko's Whiplash and Obadiah's iron mongersimply couldn't break free!
What's more, the Biological Force Field on Steve's body was like a magnet, firmly attaching them to his hands. The two could only watch in despair as they got closer and closer to the ground.
First hit, equipment exploded.
Second hit, both of them blacked out and lost consciousness.
Third hit, the ridiculously good shock absorption system of the armor was rendered useless, completely wrecked by the powerful throws.
Fourth hit, the armor and the two men were indistinguishable; their flesh and the metal of the mecha had completely merged under Steve's immense throws.
By the time Steve had enough of playing with the giant hammer and stopped, the two armors were so smashed that they no longer resembled human figures.
Blood flowed from the twisted armor, and Ivan Vanko and Obadiah appeared to be as dead as could be.
But even then, to be safe, Steve still went up and kicked them twice, stomping on the heads of the two armors, which were almost like mosaics, to prevent them from having resurrection coins.
Tony, who had been thrown to the side, saw this scene and swallowed his dry throat, as if he saw a faint red glow in Steve's eyes as he stood on the headless mecha!
Urgent! What should I do if my uncle has gone berserk? I'm so afraid he'll get carried away and kill me too!
Steve looked back with a terrifying gaze, and even Tony couldn't help but take two steps back.
God, he didn't really go berserk, did he?
Of course, that's impossible.
Although Steve did have some violent after-effects from his sudden surge in strength, that was only directed at enemies. He was not Homelander; he hadn't gone crazy to the point of indiscriminately attacking friend and foe.
Because he is a patriarch, and a patriarch does not kill his grand-nephew.
Heh, humor.
Steve ignored Tony, whose little heart was pounding, and instead raised his hand and snapped his fingers.
"FBI, come clean up!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a group of people in FBI uniforms immediately poured in from outside the warehouse and began to cordon off the scene.
The leading Officer jogged to Steve, respectfully handing him a search warrant.
"Captain Rogers, this is the search warrant you requested for Hammer Industries."
Steve casually took the search warrant, used it to wipe his hands, and threw it on the ground like trash.
"This thing is useless now. Later, you guys gather the evidence and directly announce to the public, 'Hammer Industries harbored federal criminals and conspired with them to manufacture illegal mechas for terrorist attacks on America, and was jointly taken down by the righteous Captain America and Tony Stark, eliminating a public menace.'"
"Then, seize all of Hammer Industries' assets for treason, and find a way to sell the acquisition rights to Tony Stark at the lowest price, understand?"
The leading Officer kept writing down Steve's words with a pen, fearing he would miss a single word. As soon as Steve finished, he immediately nodded.
"Understood, I will carry out these instructions as you commanded!"
"Alright, you go clean up too."
"Yes, Officer!"
The Officer heard Steve say he could leave, quickly nodded, turned, and walked away quickly, secretly letting out a long sigh of relief.
Ah, I survived.
In front of this Captain Hydra, the pressure on them, these subordinate HYDRA members, was simply too immense.
Steve's outrageous orders just now were actually impossible for him, a small HYDRA cadre lurking in the FBI, to execute.
But he still agreed without any hesitation. Why?
It was all because of the announcement that their HYDRA head, Alexander Pierce, had issued within HYDRA last time, stating that they absolutely must not provoke the Captain, or face the consequences.
Even the heads of other HYDRA branches, their Captain dared to directly deal with them if there was a disagreement, even shoving their glasses into their eyeballs. If these small HYDRA minions displeased the Captain, wouldn't their brains be beaten out by the Captain!
So, whenever this HYDRA branch received instructions from the Captain that were beyond their capabilities, they would always accept them first, no matter what, and then pass the buck back to Officer Pierce.
Because only Pierce had the ability to clean up any mess for Steve, and only Pierce had the guts to touch Steve's sensitive spot.
Steve didn't care who ultimately did these things; he only ever cared about seeing the results.
Pierce: Damn it! Are you the boss, or am I the boss? It feels like I'm working for you! Why don't you just take over HYDRA directly!
Tony looked at the FBI entering under Steve's command with a bewildered expression, staring at him with dead fish eyes:
"So you not only have connections in the legal department? You even have connections with the FBI? They actually listen to you!"
Steve pinched his thumb and forefinger together in a gesture that a certain country would definitely dislike, indicating:
"Just a tiny bit. After all, your uncle, I've lived for almost a hundred years, and my life experience is incredibly profound. Isn't it normal to know more friends from all walks of life and have more connections?"
A vein popped on Tony's forehead: "Normal my ass! You slept for seventy of your hundred years in ice, where did you get profound life experience from!"
He was almost at his limit with Steve constantly bringing up his hundred-year age!
And profound life experience? Without those seventy years frozen, this guy should actually be 'younger' than him!
Steve looked at the 'rebellious' Tony, silently raised his fist, and decided to reason with him:
"Dare to talk back to me? Grand-nephew, do you also want to play with the giant hammer?"
Tony looked at the fist the size of a wok and suddenly felt that it wasn't so intolerable after all. He turned his head away:
"I'm not arguing with you anymore. By the way, why did you have the FBI sell the ownership of Hammer Industries to me?"
Steve said as a matter of course:
"Of course, it's to make money for you. Although Hammer Industries is not as good as your Stark Industries, it's second only to your Stark Industries in America. Don't you understand how much profit there will be after taking it over?"
Tony nodded, then shook his head dismissively:
"No, I certainly understand the profits, but honestly, I don't really care for that little profit.
I plan to use this incident to officially reveal my identity as Iron Man, and also to capitalize on the buzz to put the new energy project on the Stark Industries production chain.
Once the new energy market is opened by me, that small profit from Hammer Industries will be just a drop in the ocean for me!"
Are you listening to human words?
Hammer Industries, with a market value of at least hundreds of billions, was dismissed as insignificant. Is that even human speech?
Steve gasped, twitched his mouth, and said with envy, jealousy, and hatred:
"Tsk, since you don't care for it that much, then after you buy Hammer Industries, just give it to me!"
Unexpectedly, facing Steve's sarcasm, Tony actually nodded and agreed without hesitation.
"If you want it, no problem. Once I take it over, I'll give you 60% of Hammer Industries' shares, so Hammer Industries will officially belong to you. You can even rename it Rogers Industries!"
Watching Tony speak as casually as if he were inviting a friend to dinner, Steve once again gained a new understanding of Tony's outrageous wealth.
Who would have thought that just because of a casual remark, Captain America, the Super Hero with a poverty level second only to Little Spider in Marvel, would for the first time own his own Rogers Industries?
Chapter 57: Comrade Shi Aimin is welcome!
Steve's remark was just a joke, but Tony clearly took it seriously.
A week later.
Stark Industries Expo.
Tony stood under the spotlight, responding for the first time to the recent public controversy.
"Welcome everyone to the annual Stark Expo.
Today, let's do away with those traditional, old-fashioned opening speeches and get straight to the main topic, which is the rumors about myself and Stark Industries that you are all most interested in."
Amidst a round of applause from the audience, Tony gestured for silence and continued:
"First, in the past month, Stark indeed underwent major reforms."
"Due to Obadiah Stane, the second largest shareholder within the company, illegally selling Stark Industries weapons to Terrorists for years, as well as severe crimes such as hiring assassins and leaking Military secrets, he has been expelled from Stark Industries and designated a major criminal by the Federal Government."
"And the Stark Industries shares he held have been reclaimed by me, and he himself has most likely been reborn for a week now~"
"It is precisely because of this incident that I realized how irresponsible I had been in my oversight of Stark Industries, leading to scoundrels like Obadiah using weapons I manufactured to cause the tragic deaths of many innocent people."
"Although it's late for me to say it now, I still want to apologize to everyone who was harmed by this."
Saying this, Tony Stark, who had always been incredibly proud and arrogant in public, slightly bent his waist—a waist that had been too proud to bend before—towards the cameras below the stage.
The Stark Expo live broadcast by the World's number one arms dealer was naturally being watched by people all over the World.
For example, in distant Sokovia, a young brother and sister were watching Tony bowing in apology on the screen, their eyes filled with a mixture of hatred and struggle.
"Pietro, I think we can't keep running away like this anymore. Maybe it's time for us to face the nightmare Stark brought us, whether it's revenge or something else!"
In this complex atmosphere, the beautiful red-haired girl suddenly stood up and spoke to the equally handsome boy beside her with a firm tone.
The boy didn't hesitate and nodded just as firmly.
"Since you've made up your mind, let's go and end all of this, Wanda!"
With that, they tightly clasped each other's hands and left their small house in Sokovia without looking back, heading towards a new World!
On the other side, Tony, who was still giving his speech at the Expo, had no idea that a pair of twin siblings he was destined to face were already heading towards him.
"To prevent Stark Industries from ever again escaping my control, in the past month, I have successfully acquired all shares of Stark Industries' shareholders, except for the 10% held by the Military."
"From now on, Stark Industries will be run by me alone, and I guarantee that never again will there be incidents like Stark Industries weapons being sold to Terrorists!"
Tony had gone all out to clean up the internal affairs this time!
Except for Obadiah's shares, which he got for free, he bought back the shares of other company directors at double the market price!
Under Steve's intervention, Stark Industries, which had not closed its weapons department, was a huge cake. Without paying a hefty price, Tony simply couldn't reclaim the shares from those Vampires within Stark Industries.
But none of that mattered now; once his new energy project launched today, he could earn back all the money he spent in minutes.
The new element from the Tesseract, once launched, would not just impact the new energy market; it would be a completely devastating blow!
The new element is low in cost, high in profit, and harmless. There is simply no one on the market who has the strength to compete with him!
Stark Industries will ascend to a higher level because of this—no, several levels—truly becoming rich enough to rival a nation!
And all of this is thanks to his good uncle, Steve Rogers.
He helped him retrieve his father's Relics and assisted him in discovering the new element!
He also saved him from Fire and Water multiple times and helped him avenge Obadiah's betrayal!
So now, it's time for him to give some substantial benefits to this 'honey-tongued' good uncle.
Tony's lips curved into a smile, and he clapped his hands to attract the attention of all the guests and reporters, who were stunned by the massive internal changes at Stark Industries.
"That's all about Stark Industries; next are some personal matters."
"This past week, there have been rumors online about Captain America and me saving America from a 'Terminator' crisis, and about my acquisition of Hammer Industries. I'd like to clarify these two matters."
"These are actually not rumors; they are facts!"
"Hammer Industries, in collusion with a Federal major criminal, planned to stir up a mecha storm that could threaten all U.S. citizens!"
"But don't worry, this intelligent machine crisis has been uncovered by Captain America Steve Rogersand me, and we have jointly resolved it!"
"And Hammer Industries was indeed acquired by me, but Hammer Industries is not under my name. I have transferred 60% of Hammer Industries' shares to Captain Rogers, who helped save America, and from today onwards, Hammer Industries will officially be renamed Rogers Industries!"
Tony dropped two bombshells in a row, making the international reporters below the stage burst out with various exclamations!
"What the f***!"
"Holy crab!"
"F***!!"
"Yamete!"
...
Amidst the clamor from the audience, Tony extended his hand towards the curtain behind the stage:
"Now, let's welcome the hero who defeated HYDRA and saved America and the World during World War II, and the World's first Super Hero, Comrade Captain America Steve Aiming!!"
As Tony's shout resonated, the spotlight appropriately shone on Steve, who held his star-spangled shield and wore his classic blue battle suit!
Steve, with a fake smile of righteousness, quickly walked to Tony's side, waving his hand amidst the rising gasps from the audience and the blinding flashes of cameras that were no better than a CS:GO flashbang.
"Good evening, everyone, I am Captain America, Steve Rogers!"
"It's a pleasure to be back at the Stark Expo after seventy years and to have a cross-century meeting with all of you in this new era. Have you missed me?"
Watching the living fossil on stage greet them, the audience below became even more excited, with cheers rising in waves~
"Yes! Yes! Yes!!!"
"Ah, it's the living Captain America!"
"Captain Rogers, we love you!!!"
"You are our hero, Captain!!!"
Chapter 58 We control, we contain, we protect!
Hearing a familiar scream mixed in the crowd below the stage, Steve's body stiffened. He looked closely and found that it was the two twin cover girls from Chapter 2, whom he had wronged, screaming frantically at him.
"Cough, cough…"
Steve couldn't help but cough lightly to ease the awkwardness. Holding the microphone in one hand and pointing at everyone below the stage with the other, he put on a serious face like a true expert:
"No, no, no, I am not a hero. You, all the law-abiding citizens of America, you are the true heroes!"
Although probably more than half of them aren't law-abiding, Steve thought to himself.
Seeing their idol affirm them, the fans below the stage became even more frantic. Their shouts almost turned into roars. One might have thought it was a cult ceremony!
Steve transformed into a fake-smiling boy, constantly waving to the fervent fans below. He slapped Tony's shoulder hard with the hand holding the microphone, his face twitching, and whispered:
"Tony, I swear, this is absolutely the last time in my life I'll wear this idiotic costume. If you dare make me wear this thing again, I'll have Wade strip naked and lie between you and Pepper every night!"
Tony didn't take Steve's threat to heart. Instead, he scrutinized the battle suit Steve was wearing, which highlighted his U.S. backside, and teased:
"But it proves my idea worked really well, didn't it?"
"Look, this classic U.S. backside battle suit, ingrained in the minds of Americans since childhood, instantly ignited everyone's passion~"
Steve glared fiercely at Tony, forcibly suppressing the urge to kill the guy on the spot.
Damn it, if Tony hadn't paid so much, he wouldn't have worn such a humiliating battle suit!
Tony had been with Steve for a while. Seeing Steve was about to lose it, he immediately knew when to stop to avoid a beating, and turned his head back to the audience.
After the guests had calmed down a bit, he tapped the microphone and said:
"Folks, I know how excited you are to see a living fossil. Believe me, if one day a living car stood in front of me, I wouldn't feel much better than you~"
"But for now, please calm down and give me a minute to announce the last thing for today. After that, the expo will officially begin, and Captain is also at the expo. You'll have plenty of time to take photos and get autographs from the living fossil Captain then."
Upon hearing this, the audience immediately quieted down.
Holy cow, an autographed photo of a World War II living fossil, this is truly incredible!
After all, which American didn't grow up listening to the stories of Captain America? Who wouldn't want his autographed photo? You'd pay money to get one for your collection!
"Regarding the last matter, it's not just about me or Captain. It concerns the safety of everyone present, and even the World."
Tony's mention of the World's safety made everyone's recently calmed hearts beat faster again, their eyes wide with anticipation.
And that was exactly the effect Tony wanted. A smirk played on his lips as he slowly said:
"I believe you've all noticed, more or less, that this World isn't just populated by ordinary people like us. There are also superhumans who, for various reasons, possess powers far beyond normal humans."
"In the past, the proportion between humans and superhumans was too disparate, so we didn't feel the presence of superhumans very deeply; we'd only hear about them once or twice a year occasionally."
"But starting this year, the proportion of superhuman crime incidents has rapidly increased, by dozens of times! This is because the number of these super criminals is constantly growing!"
"These super criminals are not only difficult for ordinary Police to handle, but even if they can be handled, the process often results in a large number of innocent casualties."
"Therefore, for the safety of all humanity, Captain Rogers and I have decided to establish an association specifically targeting superhuman criminals!"
"Named the Avengers Agency, our association's motto is: We control, we contain, we protect!"
"We control those super criminals, we contain those good people who awaken superpowers due to accidents, and we protect ordinary people like you even more!"
"This is the original intention behind the establishment of our Avengers Agency!"
As Tony finished speaking, the stage instantly erupted in a commotion even more intense than when Steve first appeared!
Countless reporters, armed with their cameras, surged towards Steve on stage, all eager to get firsthand information about the Avengers Agency.
And at this moment, a bald… no, a big man emerged from the crowd!
Eddie, holding a microphone emblazoned with The Daily Bugle logo, as always, displayed his unique style of questioning, sharply asking Tony:
"Mr. Stark, although your words about establishing the Avengers Agency for all humanity deeply impress me, I must ask you a question."
"On what grounds does your association have the confidence to be the Police of the superhuman World? Although Captain Rogers is a superhuman, he is only one person, and his power is ultimately limited."
"And you seem to be just an ordinary person with some money, don't you? How can you establish a superhuman association with Captain America?"
Tony's expression turned serious as he faced Eddie, who looked more like a gang leader than a reporter:
"That's right, I don't possess powers far beyond human capabilities like Captain Rogers. Aside from labels like rich, playboy, genius scientist, top arms dealer, and U.S. richest man, which are irrelevant, I seem to be just an ordinary person."
"But today I want to tell you, to tell all of you, that you are wrong, because…"
(The classic moment is coming, it's recommended to turn on audio playback for the next sentence…)
"I am Iron Man!"
After saying that, amidst the roaring crowd, Tony turned and left without looking back.
Steve maintained his upright and righteous persona, waving to the sea of people below the stage, preparing to follow Tony. But suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Eddie, who had just asked the question, anxiously waving at him.
Meanwhile, Happy, the head of security, was using his 'large belly' to block Eddie, preventing him from coming onto the stage.
Steve raised an eyebrow, walked to the edge of the stage, squatted down, and patted the diligent Happy:
"Happy, he's my friend, let him come up."
Happy heard Steve's voice, retracted his large belly, and allowed Eddie onto the stage.
Eddie looked gratefully at Steve, who had helped him out, and quickly thanked him:
"Thank you! Really, thank you! I have something very important I need your help with. Do you remember? Last time you said I could come to you if I had trouble!"
Steve nodded, not saying much, just raising his chin, signaling Eddie to follow him.
The two walked together backstage.
This scene was captured by the expo's global live broadcast.
San Francisco, Life Foundation.
Drake, the CEO of the Life Foundation, who had Indian heritage, watched Eddie's figure in the StarkExpo live broadcast, a strange grayish-white glow flickering in his eyes.
Chapter 59 Steve is targeted
A hideous, silver-gray head emerged from Drake's shoulder, and a gloomy, hoarse voice, like a venomous snake, echoed in Drake's ear:
"Is this the guy who took my people from your territory?"
Drake showed no panic at the hideous head that appeared beside him, looking as if he was used to it.
"That's right, Eddie Brock. On the day the Symbiote was stolen, he was the only outsider caught on the experimental Base's surveillance. A little rat secretly brought in by the traitor Dr. Dora..."
"However, I don't think this little rat took our Symbiote, because on that day, the security team responsible for pursuing him, including the Base's security, a total of over a hundred people, all died."
"Even if Eddie had a Symbiote attached to him at the time, given the Symbiotes' weakened state, it shouldn't have been enough to give him such strength."
As he spoke, Drake's gaze shifted to Steve, who was talking to Eddie on the screen, and a glint of sharpness flashed in his eyes.
"And Eddie's appearance at Stark's expo this time, looking very familiar with Captain America, makes me seem to know who took our Symbiote back then..."
The Symbiote named 'Riot' stretched its head closer to the screen and licked Steve with its long, disgusting tongue.
"Hehe, I think I know our next target..."
Drake nodded, his tone cold: "That's right, we're going to reclaim our Symbiote and make this so-called Captain America pay the price!"
"Who's to say otherwise?"
Riot echoed with its mouth, but its eyes remained fixed on Steve. That perfect body, as if made by a god, made it feel a surge of excitement even through the screen, and a deep greed flashed in its eyes.
'Oh~ what an incredibly perfect body. If I can obtain this body, I will become the strongest Symbiote in history, maybe even the next Symbiote God!'
'So, I'm sorry, Drake, you are destined to be nothing more than a stepping stone on my path to godhood, hehehe...'
You see, this is the drawback of Symbiote parasitism.
Riot, as the parasite, clearly knew what Drake was thinking, but Drake, as the host, had no idea that Riot had already planned to use him up and then devour him completely~
This is also why Steve has not chosen to merge with Venom to this day.
Or rather, Steve never even considered letting Venom parasitize him.
Symbiotes are powerful but full of uncertainty.
This alone made Steve directly pass on them...
The comic book tears open, one page shows Riot and Drake targeting Steve, while the other page shows Steve also targeting them.
Just as you gaze into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into You.
"Damn Tony, are you really going to make me wear this costume and go to the expo later to have a handshake and autograph session like those otaku fans at a comic con?!"
As soon as he entered the backstage, Steve immediately unleashed a torrent of expletives at Tony, clearly dissatisfied with the autographed photos Tony had just mentioned on stage.
Tony, already accustomed to Steve's foul mouth, remained unfazed. He held a glass of whiskey in each hand and casually handed one to Steve.
"Calm down, big guy, this is all for our benefit and to boost the reputation of our Association, isn't it?"
"You know what? Just now, my Stark Industries and your Rogers Industries have already seen their market value increase by at least ten points due to the announcement of the Avengers Agency. When this matter fully develops, the market value might even double."
"Although this amount of money is insignificant to me, who is about to enter the new energy market, it is very important to your newly established Rogers Industries~"
"So, sacrificing a little 'charm' is totally worth it, isn't it?"
To be honest, Tony's confident, in-control demeanor looked exactly like a brat begging for a slap, making Steve's hands itch!
But upon hearing Tony say that Rogers Industries' market value would double because of this, Stevesuddenly felt that Tony wasn't so annoying after all.
Simply put, it was a battle between the left and right brains~
After Steve took the glass, Tony pointed to the news report on the backstage big screen.
"Please watch the VCR~"
In the news report, the first thing that caught the eye were several long rows of large characters.
[Two-Era Super Heroes Join Forces, The First Real-Name Super Hero from the Old and New Eras, Captain America Steve Rogers and Iron Man Tony Stark, jointly establish the Avengers Agency!]
[True Super Heroes should dare to show their faces like Avengers and deal with Super Criminals who are also superhumans. Avengers, quickly make those masked vigilantes who only beat up thugs on the streets unemployed!]
One can imagine the immense upheaval that would be caused by the combination of these exaggerated gimmicks: an U.S. World War II hero, the richest man in America, and two highly influential Super Heroes who publicly revealed their identities forming an Association.
However, looking at this news report, which was full of hate-mongering language, Steve couldn't help but twitch his mouth.
"Motherfucker! Who the hell wrote this news report? It's bad enough that it's drawing the hatred of those Super Villains to us, but why is it also dragging those Super Heroes who don't want to reveal their names into the hatred?"
Tony didn't answer. He shrugged and used the remote control to scroll the report directly to the byline at the very bottom.
The Daily Bugle was prominently displayed there in large letters.
Steve immediately felt relieved upon seeing this. So, it was the 1.5 generation Spider-Man who did it.
It seems that no matter which Marvel Universe, The Daily Bugle's mustachioed boss doesn't particularly like masked heroes, or to be more direct, doesn't like Spider-Man.
Eddie, who had followed them, saw Steve, who was full of 'motherfuckers' and very dissatisfied with the report, and quietly took off The Daily Bugle ID badge hanging on his chest and put it in his pocket, feeling that his timing might be a bit off.
However, it was clear that Steve had not forgotten Eddie's identity.
He turned around, picked up Eddie, who was playing ostrich, and pulled The Daily Bugle ID badge from his pocket.
"Hey, kid, I remember you're from The Daily Bugle, aren't you? You didn't write this report, did you?"
Before Steve could get angry, Eddie quickly raised his hands to clarify:
"You've got it wrong, Captain! I didn't write this. I just joined The Daily Bugle a few days ago and I'm just a nominal junior reporter. This report was personally written by my boss, J. Jonah Jameson. It really has nothing to do with me!"
"Besides, have you forgotten? After Tony Stark finished his speech, I've been following you the whole time. I didn't have time to write any drafts..."
That seemed right too...
Eddie had been following him ever since Tony stepped off the stage, so he hadn't had time to write any drafts.
Steve then remembered that this guy had come to him for help.
A customer is God, and he couldn't send the customer to see God.
Chapter 60 Avengers Tower!
He placed Eddie back on the ground and kindly adjusted his collar.
"Oh, my customer, my God, tell me, what do you need my help with this time?"
Tony, who was standing by, poured Eddie a drink and also spoke with interest:
"Don't be scared, buddy, Steve is just like that. He might seem uncultured, but he's actually a pretty good person.
Quickly tell us if there are any Super Human incidents that need our help. As the first case after our Avengers Agency officially opened, we can give you a 50% discount~"
Getting to the point, Eddie took a sip of the drink Tony handed him to calm his nerves, and immediately said to Steve:
"Do you remember last month at the Life Foundation, when you took that alien creature called a Symbiote out of me?"
Before Steve could reply, Tony spoke first again, curious:
"Wait, are you talking about the Life Foundation in San Francisco? That Drake guy actually brought back an alien life form from outer space?"
"You know that Drake guy? And you know about this alien life form? You wouldn't happen to have some shady cooperation with that guy, would you?!"
Eddie looked at Tony in surprise, subconsciously taking two steps back.
He thought he had just escaped the tiger's den only to fall into the wolf's lair!
Tony, however, shook his head disdainfully: "Cooperation? Is that Indian guy even worthy? I was just a little interested in his plan to explore the Universe back then, so I had Jarvis hack into their internal system and take a quick look."
"But at the time, I thought exploring alien life forms was completely unrealistic, so I didn't pay attention to it later. I never thought he actually found an alien life form...."
At this, Tony's eyes lit up as he looked at Steve.
"So you snatched that thing called a Symbiote from that Indian guy? How many Symbiotes do you still have on hand?"
Steve glanced at him and pointed to his chest:
"There are only two surviving Symbiotes, and actually, you've seen a Symbiote before. One of them is parasitic on Wade, which is the thing that healed your chest."
Upon hearing this, Tony became even more interested.
"So that thing that can heal the human body is a Symbiote? I thought it was Wade's special Super Power. So, you still have one Symbiote on hand. How about lending it to me for a few days to research?"
Steve nodded indifferently: "If you want it, just take it. It's useless for me to keep it. I'll just give it to You; it saves me the trouble of feeding it chocolate every day."
"However, You'd best not let the Symbiote parasitize yourself easily. That thing isn't compatible with everyone, and not all hosts have an almost infinite supply of phenylethylamine for the Symbiote to feed on like Wade. If it gets too hungry, it will backfire on the host~"
Tony nodded carelessly:
"Don't worry, I'm a scientist, and what I value most is rigor.
I also don't plan to let this alien parasite parasitize me and suck my brain marrow.
I just had a sudden idea to try and create a Battle Suit with Symbiote abilities based on the Symbiote's characteristics."
"If possible, I plan to apply it to your Battle Suit and my new generation of Battle Suits."
Symbiote Battle Suit?
Steve's eyes lit up, thinking it was a good idea, and he nodded:
"Okay, as long as You have a sense of proportion, I'll have Sharon send it to You in a couple of days."
Tony gave an OK gesture and leaned back, continuing to watch the show.
Steve also looked back at Eddie, who had wisely remained silent during their conversation: "Alright, Eddie, the little interlude is over, You can continue."
Eddie took another sip of the drink Tony handed him to moisten his throat and continued:
"Ever since I infiltrated the Life Foundation last time, I've felt like someone has been secretly monitoring me, but for some reason, they haven't made a move against me."
"After your reminder when you left, I guessed it was most likely someone sent by that Drake guy. The reason they haven't made a move against me is probably because they know the Symbiote isn't on me at all, so they want to find You, who took the Symbiote, through me."
"So, to avoid Drake's surveillance, and to avoid implicating my ex-girlfriend again, I hid from San Francisco to New York and found a job at The Daily Bugle that could support myself, but I never expected to meet Captain You at this expo."
"It just so happened that your Avengers Agency, which deals with Super Human incidents, was announced at this time, which also made me determined to seek Captain Your help to completely resolve this matter."
"Alien life forms like Symbiotes are also considered Super Human incidents. Your Avengers Agencyshould accept this commission, right?"
For Eddie, one of the Marvel protagonists, even if it wasn't a Super Human incident, Steve would still accept his commission for the system rewards.
However, on the surface, he still couldn't break the rules and said lightly:
"Of course, but I believe You also know that we are an Association, not a charity. Commissions require a fee.
And taking action against a massive group like the Life Foundation, the cost is not low, so how much can You pay?"
Eddie's face stiffened at the words. He had been so focused on seeking help that he hadn't realized the Avengers Agency was different from those street heroes; it required a fee!
Searching through his entire body, Eddie awkwardly pulled out all his worldly possessions: 250 U.S. dollars, plus a few coins...
"Sorry, ever since I reported the Life Foundation's human experimentation scandal last time, life has been tough. I lost my job, my girlfriend broke up with me, and no company in San Francisco is willing to hire me anymore....."
"This money is all I have left, but I guess it's far from enough, isn't it...."
Steve's face was speechless. He had thought Eddie would be poor after being targeted by Drake and losing his job, but he never expected him to be this poor!
This guy used to be a hotshot frontline reporter; didn't he have any savings at all?
However, thinking that this was America, people here might not necessarily have the habit of saving money.
After a helpless sigh, he pulled the two hundred-dollar bills from Eddie's hand.
"Forget it, the original intention of our Association was not to make money. Charging fees is just to make people understand that the help of Super Heroes is never taken for granted, and to allow the heroes of the Association to receive a small reward for their kindness."
"So, this time, consider it my good deed. I'll take on your commission, but with an additional condition: You have to join our Avengers Agency. We just happen to be missing a hard-headed reporter who dares to confront capital~"
Eddie was dumbfounded, hardly believing his ears.
Not only could he get the Avengers to solve the big problem of the Life Foundation for two hundred U.S. dollars, but he could also join the Avengers Agency because of it?!
How could such a good thing, like pie falling from the sky, happen to him!
Steve looked at the stunned Eddie and raised an eyebrow: "What? You're not willing?"
Eddie snapped out of his surprise and quickly said:
"No, no, no, of course I'm willing, I... I mean I'm very honored to become a member of the Avengers!"
Steve shrugged: "Actually, You can only be considered a news reporting staff member of the Association, not an official Super Hero member, but it doesn't matter~"
"From today until the Life Foundation matter is resolved, You will stay at the Avengers Tower within the Association. No one dares to cause trouble on my Base."
During this time, Pepper had already selected the location for the Association and completed the renovation.
Or rather, it's not that she chose the location, because the location and the building were already there.
That is the former Hammer Tower. As the Super Tower second only to Stark Tower in New York, both its geographical location and grandeur are worthy of being used as the Avengers Base.
Therefore, the Hammer Tower was not renamed Rogers Tower, but was directly renamed Avengers Tower by Steve.
From now on, this will be the first and only Super Tower in this World where all Super Heroes work.
And he, Steve Rogers, will be the supreme boss of all Super Heroes!