In Russia, a flash of eerie, azure-blue light suddenly illuminated a dark and dilapidated room.
The glow revealed a burly man sitting before it — long, tangled hair, an unkempt beard, and clothes so filthy they looked as though they hadn't been washed in weeks. Even his long hair was clumped together in greasy strands.
The man stared at the glowing blue light before him, a toothpick clenched between his teeth as a twisted smile curled across his lips.
"Tony Stark… use your life to atone for your sins! Hahaha!"
His wild laughter echoed throughout the entire room.
At the same time, Tony was staring grimly at a small instrument in front of him.On its display flickered a line of numbers:
"Blood Toxicity: 24%."
Tony frowned deeply. The energy plate of the Arc Reactor embedded in his chest was made of palladium.
Without palladium, nothing else could serve as the energy source for the reactor.
But if he continued to use it, every time he donned the armor, the palladium poisoning in his body would worsen.
"Sigh…" Tony exhaled heavily, a look of helplessness on his face.He had already tested every possible combination of elements — yet not a single one could replace palladium.
This was the second time he'd smelled death.The first was in that cave in Afghanistan.The second… was now.
But unlike that first time, this time Tony had exhausted all his wisdom, all his resources — and still hadn't found the slightest ray of hope.
"I regret to inform you, sir," J.A.R.V.I.S.'s voice spoke softly beside him, "that the very thing which once saved your life is now consuming it."
Tony said nothing.He simply grabbed a glass of chlorophyll juice from the table and downed it in one go.
Meanwhile, in the Hexagram Alliance Base, Meng Ran was tinkering with something in a newly built laboratory.
Other than Peter and him, the rest of the team had gone out into the city for a casual stroll.
Peter handed Meng Ran a test tube and asked curiously, "Meng, what exactly are you working on? I've never seen you do lab research before."
Meng Ran didn't even lift his head.Still staring into the microscope, he replied, "It's not like I had much chance — or reason — before. But now, you see, here I am."
"I'm developing a treatment plan for palladium poisoning."
Peter blinked in confusion. "Palladium poisoning? Why suddenly that? Is someone in need of treatment?"
Meng Ran moved to another device, adjusting knobs as he spoke, "This treatment is for none other than the man of the hour — Iron Man, Tony Stark."
"Speaking of which," Meng added with a faint grin, "the stocks we bought have been rising again lately. Pretty good investment, right?"
Peter chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, definitely worth it. I think my college tuition's taken care of by now."
Then he asked, "Wait, Tony Stark's been poisoned by palladium? What happened?"
"Come give me a hand first," Meng said, gesturing for Peter to assist. "This phase of the experiment is nearly done. Once it's over, I'll explain everything."
Peter quickly joined in to help.
A short while later, the experiment was complete, and Meng Ran began explaining the situation in full detail.
After listening, Peter finally understood the whole story."So that's it… makes sense now why Tony Stark's been poisoned."
Meng nodded. "Exactly. That's why I want to develop something that can either cure or at least slow down palladium poisoning."
"Tony Stark still has an important role to play in the future. He can't die now."
Peter frowned thoughtfully. "But even if we manage to develop a treatment, if Tony refuses to give up using his Iron Man armor, won't he just end up dying anyway?"
"And since he keeps saying he'll maintain world peace on his own, there's no way he's giving that armor up."
"Unless," Peter continued, "he finds another element to replace palladium as the Arc Reactor's power source."
Meng Ran nodded approvingly. "You're right — and don't worry, he'll find it eventually."
"What I'm doing now is to make sure he doesn't die of poisoning before that happens."
Of course, Meng Ran knew Tony would discover that new element eventually — at least, according to the memories from the movie in his head.
But this world wasn't a movie.It was real.And Meng Ran had no guarantee the future would unfold exactly the same way — like what happened with Abomination.
He'd known that Abomination would appear, and yes, it did — but there'd also been a strange big-headed monster on the scene that he had no memory of at all.
That creature had never appeared in the movie, catching Meng completely off guard.
Though the monster hadn't caused any lasting chaos, its appearance had been a wake-up call — a reminder not to blindly trust the "memories" in his head.
Memories could serve as reference, but never as certainty.Especially when he himself was the butterfly constantly flapping its wings, altering the course of the future.
No one could say what direction that future would now take.
That was why Meng Ran insisted on researching a cure for palladium poisoning — he didn't want to rely on a future that might never come true.He wanted to grip reality in his own hands — that was the safest path.
After discussing Tony Stark's situation, Meng Ran and Peter devoted themselves fully to the research.
A few days later, Tony, Pepper, and Happy arrived in Monaco.The Formula 1 Grand Prix was being held today, and the venue was packed with spectators.
Tony and Pepper walked into the Paris Hotel, with Happy lugging Tony's briefcase behind them. This was the resting lounge for the wealthy and powerful attending the race.
Just as they entered, a striking red-haired woman in a crimson dress walked toward them.
It was none other than Natasha Romanoff — S.H.I.E.L.D.'s famous Black Widow — now disguised under her alias Natalie Rushman, working as Tony's new assistant.
Pepper froze in surprise when she saw her, but with photographers nearby, she had to keep her composure.
When they'd signed the authorization papers earlier, Tony had immediately taken a liking to "Miss Natalie from Legal," wanting her as his assistant — a suggestion Pepper had rejected.
But apparently, Tony had gone ahead and hired her anyway — without telling Pepper.
"Hey, don't look so sour," Tony said, wrapping an arm around Pepper's shoulder and smiling at the cameras. "It's a surprise, isn't it?"
After the photo session, Natalie led them further inside. As they passed a table by the window, Tony asked casually, "Is this our seat?"
Natalie smiled. "Of course. If you want it, it's yours, sir."
"Perfect," Tony said with a grin.
While she spoke to the waiter, Tony and Pepper went over to the bar.
"I didn't mean to keep it from you," Tony murmured.
Pepper rolled her eyes so hard they nearly flipped over. "Oh, thank you so much," she said dryly.
Just then, a familiar voice chimed in nearby.
"Hey! Tony, is that you?"
It was Justin Hammer.
The instant Tony heard his voice, he internally groaned. Of all people…
"I've got some big news," Hammer said enthusiastically. "The new CEO of Stark Industries — Miss Pepper Potts!"
"And this," he added, gesturing toward a woman beside him, "is Christine Everhart from Vanity Fair magazine."
Hammer beamed proudly as he introduced them, unaffected by Tony's cold attitude. He was clearly here just to show off.
Christine, the woman in the blue dress, was the same reporter who had "interviewed" Tony a year ago — and the one who'd questioned him during the press conference where he revealed himself as Iron Man.
"She's doing a feature on me for Vanity Fair. Maybe I'll have her do one on you guys too?" Hammer said smugly.
Pepper smiled awkwardly. "Oh, that's all right. She already did a 'feature' on Tony a year ago."
To her credit, Christine didn't flinch or act embarrassed — the mark of a professional journalist.
She even smiled and greeted Pepper warmly, saying she'd love to do an interview with her as well. After all, the new CEO of Stark Industries was one of the hottest topics in the business world right now.
While Tony laughed and socialized inside the hotel, a storm was quietly closing in on him from afar…
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