"Stark, this is your 'exclusive' question, so you go first," Nick Fury said, gesturing for Iron Man to begin.
Iron Man, however, looked at the question with a bewildered expression: "Ivan Vanko? Who is this person? Why would I kill him in the future?"
He didn't even know this person!
More importantly, Iron Man couldn't kill this person alone; he needed to team up with others!
"Nick Fury, you're well-informed. Do you know who this Ivan Vanko is?" Iron Man immediately turned his questioning gaze towards Nick Fury.
Nick Fury shook his head, "This is the first time I've seen that name."
"That's your dereliction of duty," Iron Man criticized Nick Fury without mercy. "Even I need to team up with others to kill him, and you know nothing about such a person?"
"I don't know this person, but I do know someone else with the surname Vanko," Nick Fury said after a moment of contemplation.
He added, "Speaking of which, that person has some connection to you."
Hearing Nick Fury's words, Iron Man's heart stirred.
He had a feeling that the person with the surname Vanko, whom Nick Fury mentioned, would be a key figure.
After all, this was modern society, a society governed by law, and even Iron Man couldn't just kill people willy-nilly.
Of course, his actions as Iron Man against armed criminals didn't count.
But those armed criminals were just insignificant small fries, and Iron Man didn't believe the answering system would specifically set questions about such minor characters.
That Ivan Vanko must not be such a character.
Since Iron Man eventually killed Ivan Vanko, there must have been a compelling reason to do so, which meant Iron Man must have had some kind of bond with him.
And Nick Fury's words confirmed this point.
Someone with the same surname as Ivan Vanko having a connection to Iron Man—wasn't that a bond?
"Nick Fury, don't keep me in suspense. Who exactly is that person?" Iron Man asked in a deep voice, his eyes fixed on Nick Fury.
"Anton Vanko," Nick Fury uttered the name.
"Anton Vanko?" Captain America's expression shifted slightly upon hearing the name. "I think I've heard that name before."
"Captain, even you know this person?" Iron Man looked surprised.
Both the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Captain America knew this person, so he must be truly extraordinary.
"Howard Stark," Captain America began to explain to Iron Man after some thought. "A very famous scientist in our era, he participated in many projects as a military scientific consultant…"
"My father? This Anton Vanko is related to my father?" Iron Man couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
"You're Howard's son?" This time, it was Captain America's turn to be surprised. He looked Iron Man up and down with some astonishment.
He hadn't paid attention when he didn't know Iron Man's identity, but now, looking closely, Captain America could indeed see a hint of Howard Stark in Iron Man.
Considering this guy also had the surname Stark and was also a scientist… no doubt about it!
This guy was definitely Howard's son; he should have realized it sooner.
However, while Howard had been a bit arrogant back then, he was also very polite in his dealings with people. How could his son be such a… a jerk?
Captain America couldn't help but inwardly grumble.
"Captain, what was the relationship between Anton Vanko and my father?" Iron Man didn't dwell on that point.
Instead, he looked at Captain America and asked.
"I don't know much, but he should have been a friend of Howard's," Captain America explained to Iron Man. "I saw him visit Howard a few times."
"It was more than just a simple friendship," Nick Fury interjected. "The Arc Reactor was invented by your father and Anton Vanko together. He was once your father's best partner."
"Then why have I never heard of him?" Iron Man pressed, very curious.
Stark Industries had been an industry giant since World War II.
As Stark's partner, and a partner who co-invented the Arc Reactor, Anton Vanko should have been as famous as Howard, becoming a business titan of his generation.
Yet, Iron Man had never even heard of the man's name!
Clearly, there must be an unusual story behind it.
And that unusual story might be the reason for his deadly confrontation with Ivan Vanko!
Iron Man immediately sensed something out of the ordinary.
"After the Arc Reactor was invented, Anton Vanko and your father had a difference of opinion. He intended to use the Arc Reactor to make money, so later, your father exiled Anton Vanko to Siberia…"
Nick Fury continued to explain to Iron Man.
"Then it all makes sense!" Iron Man suddenly looked enlightened.
Since he killed Ivan Vanko in the future, there must have been a compelling motive, and now, Nick Fury had perfectly explained that motive.
Thanks to Iron Man's father, Howard, the Vanko family and the Stark family had a deep-seated hatred.
And this deep-seated hatred must be the fuse that would lead him to kill Ivan Vanko in the future!
"It now seems highly likely that Ivan Vanko is Anton Vanko's son, and he inherited the hatred for your Stark family from Anton Vanko."
"And Howard is either no longer alive or is too old now, so Ivan Vanko made you his target, but… he ultimately died by your hand."
After some thought, Captain America shared his analysis with everyone.
Nick Fury and Iron Man both nodded inwardly; they shared the same speculation as Captain America.
"No matter how this Ivan Vanko achieved it, it now seems that he will wield a terrifying power in the future."
"A power that even your Iron Man suit can't contend with!"
"And if an enemy cannot be defeated by Iron Man, ordinary people probably won't be able to do much, right?"
Nick Fury said slowly, looking at the options on the screen with his single eye.
"Okay, then let's rule out ordinary people first." Iron Man glanced at the options and realized he didn't recognize two of the names.