On the computer screen.
The face of Iron Man, Tony Stark, composed of countless characters, was lifelike. Ian's eyes widened. He covered the distance in a few quick steps and rushed to the gigantic computer.
"Hiss!"
He reached out and touched the cold metal casing of the massive host.
"This is the real Iron Man! It couldn't be more real!" Ian exclaimed. Of course, he was surprised, but in such a ruined world, nothing seemed too strange anymore.
"Did you just touch my butt?" The digital Tony raised an eyebrow, his tone teasing, seemingly unbothered by Ian's comment—he had probably adapted to his current identity.
"Do you want to touch mine back?"
Ian's counter-question.
Successfully rendered the digital Tony, who wanted to show off his humor, silent.
Just then.
"Tony, can you search for this boy's information?" Betty walked up, frowning, and pointed to Ian beside her. "He was able to unlock Gwen's armory and open the base's main door."
She likely knew she couldn't get any useful information from Ian, nor did she want to listen to Ian's accounts, whose authenticity couldn't be verified. Thus, she chose to directly ask the entity she trusted the most.
Upon hearing this.
The digital Tony seemed to have retrieved all data and memory in an instant before humans could even react.
"No record."
"He is neither a SHIELD employee, an Avengers member, nor any acquaintance I had while I was alive." The digital Tony shook his head firmly.
"No record!?"
"Not a single record!?"
Betty and Gwen were shocked beyond words.
To this.
The digital Tony simply nodded.
"Yes, he has the highest clearance, and I, do not know why." The image on the screen flickered slightly, seemingly representing the digital Tony's emotional fluctuations.
"How is this possible?"
Betty gasped sharply.
"It's certainly possible, dear Miss Betty Ross. Tony Stark was indeed my past, but I am merely the incomplete future of Tony Stark."
"Many things unrelated to the plan, I didn't upload."
The digital Tony shrugged.
"Perhaps you can look for my missing brain in my grave—if you can still find it." His words carried the apathetic attitude typical of a "King of Slacking."
"What plan?"
Ian's question went unanswered.
Gwen looked at him with an extremely strange expression.
"You are seriously weird!"
She grew increasingly suspicious of Ian's innocence.
"A super-human with no data record..."
Betty's expression was uncertain as she looked at the boy beside her.
"Don't look at me. I can't even handle the few hundred viruses on my computer." Ian raised his hands, sincerely stating that his knowledge of computer science was limited to everyday use.
"..."
Betty and Gwen were both speechless.
"But thankfully, they coexist quite harmoniously on my computer. It doesn't affect me playing games or watching videos, they just occasionally pop up in a barrage to insult me for playing poorly."
Ian's voice was filled with a sense of melancholy.
The atmosphere in the base hall was eerily quiet.
No one replied.
Ian didn't even feel comfortable asking which anti-virus software he should buy. He had tried most of the anti-virus software on the market, but his computer had only gained a dozen more viruses.
Free things are just not good.
Ian truly missed the days when only 360 could poison his computer.
Just then.
"Dr. Ross, the experiment project has a problem!" A staff member in a white lab coat rushed over, looking panicked. His words immediately made Betty's expression change drastically.
She didn't even pay attention to Ian anymore, turning and quickly following the staff member. Gwen hesitated, then also chased after them. The two disappeared behind a door with the staff member.
The hall instantly became quiet.
Only a group of researchers were typing code that Ian couldn't understand.
"So, what are you guys busy with here?" Ian looked around at the busy staff. They even had snacks, which didn't look like people struggling to survive the apocalypse.
The digital Tony's gaze followed Ian's movements.
"This is the 'Alliance of the Continuance.' Our only goal is to put the world back on track, to correct our civilization, and to correct the wrong process of this entire universe."
He answered, holding nothing back.
"That's cool."
Ian nodded.
According to Miss Death.
If this was the interior of a shattered universe, then these "echoes" from the universe's past would indeed have such an obsession. He was already considering how to invite Tony to play Gwent with him.
What?
A human can't beat a computer? That was truly underestimating Ian's super intelligence. The reason he was circling the digital Tony now was to find where the digital Tony's power plug was to pull it out.
"Uh."
The digital Tony waited a few seconds, realizing Ian wasn't going to continue asking. He finally couldn't help but speak, "Aren't you going to ask how we plan to achieve this?"
Truly an excellent desire to share.
"Does your plan to continue civilization include a part where good-looking partners are assigned?" Ian's abrupt question made the digital Tony shake his head, confused.
"Then I'm not very interested in knowing your plan."
Ian shook his head.
He flatly refused.
He felt the temptation offered by this batch of "echoes" lacked a bit of technical skill. If he were to tempt others, he would definitely promise to assign eighty-eight of the most beautiful wives.
"..."
The digital Tony didn't smoke.
But Ian successfully silenced him.
After a full five seconds.
"My database records every life in this world, including the most beautiful and sexy psychiatrist in the universe. Perhaps I can wake her up and let her talk to you."
He didn't know why.
But even a computer thought Ian had a mental illness.
"Can she prescribe medicine for me?"
Ian asked curiously.
He wasn't actually tempted, as he knew taking medicine here wouldn't achieve the effect he wanted.
"No, but I swear, she really is..." The digital Tony didn't understand Ian's inner thoughts. He still thought he had a good grasp of the male psyche.
However.
"Sorry, no need, thank you. I have my own, and I have two of them." Ian's decisive interruption and direct refusal were entirely unexpected by this computer carrying the memories and thoughts of Iron Man.
"..."
The digital Tony wanted to slap his forehead.
Unfortunately.
He no longer had a forehead.
"Roar!"
Just then.
A deafening roar came from deep within the base. The entire underground space shook violently. The alarm instantly sounded, and the red emergency lights flashed frantically.
***
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