Malibu beachfront villa, underground lab.
Tony Stark strutted in with a cup of black coffee so strong it could probably qualify as poison.
He'd been tinkering in the lab until past midnight, only stopping because Pepper had forcibly dragged him to bed.
But honestly? He didn't feel tired at all.
Come on—didn't people understand the value of upgraded Captain America serum?
"Good morning, my lonely old brother."
That all-too-familiar, punchable voice suddenly echoed through the lab.
Tony nearly jumped out of his skin. The coffee in his hand almost spilled.
He whipped around, only to find the lab completely empty.
"F—! Henry?!" His face was pure what-the-hell-did-I-just-hear.
"You bastard, where are you hiding?! Get out here right now! What is this, another one of your dumb pranks?!"
"Oh, relax," Henry's lazy voice drawled through the lab's speakers.
"I don't have time to play hide-and-seek with you. I'm in a... hmm, let's just say a very scenic place, enjoying a sunbath and recharging my batteries."
"Recharging?"
Tony froze, then immediately forgot about being mad. He rushed over to the console.
"J.A.R.V.I.S.! Locate that bastard for me! I want to see which private beach he's hitting on girls at now!"
"Yes, sir."
A second later, the holographic screen lit up with a feed that made Tony's jaw go slack.
There was Henry, wearing casual clothes, eyes closed, comfortably floating against the pitch-black backdrop of space.
Behind him hung a massive, beautiful blue planet.
Yep. Outer space.
Tony's hand froze halfway, coffee cup suspended in the air.
It wasn't the first time he'd seen something like this... but every time he did, it shattered his worldview all over again.
He was a staunch materialist, yet here was his brother—taking a cosmic sunbath like it was the most normal thing in the world.
And worst of all... why couldn't he do that?!
"J.A.R.V.I.S."
After a long pause, he finally exhaled, his voice dry.
"Why the hell is he suddenly in space? Look at him—he looks like a Hollywood CGI shot!"
"Sir, this is a live HD feed from a military satellite," J.A.R.V.I.S. replied dutifully.
"Henry is currently in low Earth orbit, approximately 380 kilometers above the surface."
"F—!" Tony exploded, unable to hold it in any longer.
He stared at the screen, watching his brother blissfully bask in the sun, and felt his worldview being pulverized again and again.
Right then, Henry's oh-so-"caring" voice rang out again through the speakers.
"Oh, by the way—one more thing."
"J.A.R.V.I.S., repeat what I just told you to my mud-playing brother back on Earth. Word for word."
"Yes, sir."
A second later, J.A.R.V.I.S. began relaying the message.
"Mr. Stark, Henry asked me to tell you this: the new toy he designed for you—he listed vibranium under the materials column. He looked into it, and it seems that substance exists in a secluded African nation called... Wakanda. A place that looks underdeveloped, but may in fact be richer than you are."
Tony's brows furrowed hard.
Vibranium? Wakanda?
What kind of obscure backwater was that supposed to be?!
"Henry also said," J.A.R.V.I.S. continued,
"That you should use your Iron Man charm to negotiate and see if you can buy some. After all, you're a world-famous hero now. Using your reputation should be easy."
Tony's mouth twitched uncontrollably.
That damned Henry!
"If..." J.A.R.V.I.S.'s tone carried the faintest hesitation, but he still repeated Henry's words verbatim.
"If you can't get it done—or if you're too busy partying—then he'll go himself once he's finished sunbathing. He also wanted me to remind you not to screw it up. He doesn't want to wear a suit made out of frying-pan metal when saving the world."
The lab fell silent.
Tony stood there, expression blank, listening to the whole thing.
But the way he rolled his eyes over and over betrayed just how utterly speechless he was inside.
"That damned bastard!!!"
He finally set his coffee down on the table, unable to put his feelings into words.
"Great idea, sure. But what does he take the great Tony Stark for?! His errand boy?! And if I can't get it done?! Ha! Is there anything in this world I can't handle?! And—what frying-pan metal?! My Mark armor is art. Art, you hear me?! That guy who wraps himself up like a black rice dumpling doesn't know the first thing about aesthetics!"
He ranted furiously, venting every ounce of frustration.
"J.A.R.V.I.S.!" He sucked in a deep breath.
"Patch me through to that bastard! Right now! I'll show him what elder brotherly authority looks like!"
"Apologies, sir." J.A.R.V.I.S.'s voice carried a hint of innocence.
"After issuing his instructions, Henry cut off all communication channels. He said he needed a quiet, undisturbed sunbathing environment."
Tony felt like he was about to have a brain hemorrhage from sheer rage.
He took another deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
Then, his mind began to spin rapidly.
A few seconds later, the exasperation faded from his face, replaced by a meaningful, almost predatory smile.
"Good..." he ground the word out between clenched teeth. "Very good."
He strode up to the console, his hands flying across the holographic keyboard.
"JARVIS!" he barked the command without hesitation.
"Pull up every single piece of data on Wakanda! Highest clearance! That includes the files marked classified... the ones my father left behind. I want everything, not a single page missing!"
In moments, a holographic projection of a Wakandan official in traditional garb appeared.
"And another thing..." Tony paused, his gaze locking onto the figure in the projection. His tone shifted into arrogant confidence.
"Get me in touch with Wakanda's ambassador to the UN. Yeah, the guy in the very expensive, very... ethnic outfit. Book me an appointment. Tell him that the chairman of Stark Industries, Iron Man himself, wants to discuss a major Vibranium deal with them—or better yet, directly with their king."
"Make it clear they have twenty-four hours to consider. If I don't get a satisfactory answer after that, then maybe... just maybe, I'll consider making a little friendly field trip to their so-called hidden country."
His words dripped with confidence, as if the thought of rejection never even crossed his mind.
"Yes, sir," JARVIS responded dutifully.
"And another thing!" Tony's eyes flicked back to the holographic image of Henry, leisurely floating in the vastness of space. The corner of his lips tugged upward.
"Lock onto that bastard's position for the next twenty-four hours straight! I want him tracked without interruption. I'll make sure he learns what it means to have nowhere to run!"
He wanted to see for himself—was his efficiency as Iron Man faster, or was that so-called Superman's sunbathing speed quicker?
***
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