Tony returned to the Stark Industries engineering facility that Obadiah had previously controlled to produce the Iron Monger armor. There, he saw Pepper Potts and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil Coulson waiting.
"Pepper, are you alright?" He hurried forward with concern, deliberately ignoring Coulson, who tried to step up and speak.
Pepper shook her head. "I'm fine. Obadiah didn't have time to hurt me, you arrived just in time."
"Mr. Tony Stark, what happened to Obadiah?" Coulson finally seized a chance and asked.
"It's been dealt with for now. Obadiah has received the end he deserved. Let's go back first." The last sentence was clearly directed toward Pepper.
Without giving Coulson a chance to ask more details, Tony directly turned away with Pepper and left.
"…Great, looks like I'm the one who needs to clean this mess up again." Watching them leave, Coulson sighed helplessly. He began contacting Director Fury to deploy personnel for post-incident arrangements.
Since Tony returned unharmed, Obadiah was almost certainly subdued—only the exact outcome was unclear for now.
————————
Even though Obadiah, a major threat close to him, had been resolved, Tony felt no relief. The bizarre monster transformed by the Bugster Virus he saw earlier that night continued to trouble him.
"What exactly is this so-called Bugster Virus? Does it really have the power to materialize video-game monsters in reality?" Tony lay in the lab of his villa, watching the video Jarvis played back.
"If what they said is true, then this virus is without question extremely dangerous.
But the armor those two people wore when they defeated the monster—it was straight-up meaningless, cartoonish, game-style design.
Does that mean their equipment was also made using the virus' power?" Tony stroked his chin, thinking.
Just like nuclear energy—it can generate power, but it can also make weapons.
"Jarvis, pull up the image of the cartridges inserted into that 'belt' they wore. Magnify it."
"Yes, sir." The image expanded on the holographic display before Tony.
"The text and images look exactly like promotional posters for video games.
Taddle Quest / Adventure Exploration, Bang Bang Shooting.
It perfectly matches their game-themed appearances.
Too bad the monster disappeared instantly after being defeated. If anything was left behind, I could've collected samples and studied what the virus actually is—its structure, its properties…" He spoke with regret. As a genius inventor, encountering such extraordinary unknown phenomena naturally stirred his desire to investigate.
"Sir, I've already recorded their voice frequencies. They may have altered their voices, but if not, we can compare with future suspects. My system can determine identities through voice frequency."
"Well done, Jarvis. It's not decisive evidence, but at least it gives us a direction." Tony's eyes brightened. "If only we could pinpoint their location…"
"But judging from the way they disappeared, although it looked like a video-game teleport circle, they likely used space-transfer technology. Wormhole tech. A portal?" Tony frowned.
If it was spatial-transfer, then they could have come from anywhere on Earth. Too large of a range.
"But they called themselves doctors—and considered the monster-related phenomena a disease. Perhaps their real profession is medicine. That's also a lead.
Jarvis, create a file and record all relevant information. Add everything we find from now on into the archive."
"Understood, sir."
"Tony, after everything that happened and the fight tonight, shouldn't you rest?" Pepper walked down to the lab after contacting the company to arrange cleanup, worried seeing Tony immediately bury himself in work.
"I'm fine, don't worry.
I just want to upgrade the armor. Don't mind me." Tony spoke urgently. With the arc reactor installed, Iron Monger matched his armor in performance—but against the monster, it was completely powerless.
And judging from common video-game patterns, the humanoid boss appears last and is far stronger than earlier forms. If he needed to fight creatures like that in the future, he might not fare better than Iron Monger.
"Didn't you defeat Obadiah already? Why are you still so tense?" Pepper sensed Tony's abnormal urgency.
"Obadiah wasn't defeated by me." Tony smiled bitterly inside, though he tried to appear calm so Pepper wouldn't worry.
"I just thought of several improvements for the armor while piloting it earlier.
You know how I am—when inspiration strikes, I can't waste it."
"…Alright, just remember to rest." Pepper nodded. Tony often disappeared into research before, so she thought nothing unusual of it.
"Relax, I know my limits."
As soon as she left, Tony's smile vanished. He began planning armor improvements.
"Conventional firepower seems useless against those kinds of monsters.
Maybe I need to try electromagnetic pulse weapons, photon cannons, energy-based ammunition systems…"
———————
Meanwhile, Elena and Li Hua returned to the underground chamber below Saint Capital Hospital through the teleport circle. Dan's holographic image already awaited them.
"Congratulations on your first victory—Kamen Rider Brave and Kamen Rider Snipe."
"It really was like a teleport gate from a game. Instant spatial travel." Elena de-transformed and curiously examined the teleporter, finding nothing special, eventually giving up and sitting down.
"Mr. Dan, why did you want us to reveal information about the Bugster Virus to Tony Stark?" Li Hua asked directly after releasing his transformation.
Dan coughed twice, then smiled. "This is for the sake of your future operations. It's useful to build a good relationship with Tony Stark."
"Tony Stark? That playboy? Arms dealer?" Elena scoffed. She had no good opinion of someone who collected magazine cover girls every month and previously profited from war.
"After being kidnapped in the Middle East, Tony Stark shut down Stark Industries' weapons division.
It seems his mindset has changed, though it remains to be seen. But what can he even help us with?" Li Hua analyzed calmly.
"Time will reveal what Tony becomes. For now, don't overthink it.
I want you to form goodwill with him because in the future you may need his strength.
As the Bugster Virus resurges, Bugster monsters will appear more frequently. Your missions will increase, and eventually you will be exposed to the public eye. At that time, many forces will covet the Rider System. Tony Stark can shield you from some of them." Dan explained.
"But that's the future. Right now the key point is that as the virus revives, the monsters created will grow stronger and stronger. You also need to improve."
"How? Sword training? Gun training?" Elena raised an eyebrow, thinking of their toy-like weapons.
"Those help, but the Rider System was built based on games.
Bugsters also originate from game monsters. So first—you need to learn how to clear games." Dan smiled, eyes narrowing.
"Play video games? Are you joking?" Elena stared in disbelief.
"Ridiculous," Li Hua muttered coldly.
"It's not just for fun. By learning game strategies, you'll be able to counter Bugsters based on specific game archetypes." Dan waved his hand. "Anyway, the consoles are already in your offices. Try them when you have time."
"…Fine." They reluctantly accepted and ended the meeting.
—————
"Master, is Tony Stark special somehow? You've been paying attention to him recently." In the CEO's office of Genm Corp, Azu asked like a curious child.
Dan nodded, then shook his head. "Tony Stark is somewhat special in this world. But I don't currently have any particular plans for him. I just want him to serve as a protective umbrella for my Riders, to keep nuisance organizations away."
Azu and Izu nodded thoughtfully.
Dan had chosen Li Hua and Elena as Riders, hoping they would push the Rider System to its limits and surpass them with conviction and resolve someday. Even as game characters, these two had been carefully designed NPCs—he couldn't allow random forces to sabotage their growth.
Since exposure to the public and competition over Rider technology was inevitable, Dan had prepared plans.
First, Stark Industries could deter corporate threats.
Second, regarding government matters—S.H.I.E.L.D. and Director Nick Fury. Though ruthless, cunning, and dangerously suspicious, Fury always stood firm in truly critical moments—such as stopping the launch of nuclear missiles during the Chitauri invasion.
If Fury understood that the Bugster Virus threatened humanity and that Riders capable of combating it were rare, he would help protect them.
Lastly, Hydra hid behind S.H.I.E.L.D.'s shadow. A ruthless group playing by no rules. That's where Genm Corp would step in—Dan intended to occasionally "warn" Hydra, showcasing force.
He could claim Brave and Snipe's Rider Systems were Genm corporate assets, forbidding interference. With enough intimidation, Hydra wouldn't dare act.
Combined with a special mechanic within the Rider System itself, their growth should proceed smoothly.
"I really am such a good boss—thinking so far ahead for my employees." Dan praised himself proudly in his mind.
(End of Chapter)