For the first time.The very first time.
A foul‑smelling building.
Tony immediately called JARVIS.
"JARVIS, record the entire video."
"I want to see exactly how the first machine was built."
JARVIS's cold mechanical voice responded.
"Yes, sir. Everything has been carried out as instructed."
Tony's fingers tapped rapidly on the desk.
Clearly—
his heart was anything but calm.
Indeed.
Ethan's words in the video seemed to transcend time.
They weren't just spoken to Tony back then—
they were speaking to him now.
Ethan was right.
This was a weapon Tony had poured his heart and soul into creating.
And yet—
it had fallen into the hands of the enemy.
Did he really want to do nothing about it?
The moment he finished watching, his thoughts connected instantly with his future self.
What should I do next?
The goal was clear—
to build a weapon.
A weapon that belonged to me alone.
Only when it was fully under my control could it truly be mine.
Could I escape the cave?
Could I eradicate all the evil in this world?
"If we use the name I gave you during the New York battle, you'd be Mark VII, right?"
"No… no. You should be Mark I."
"Come on, baby. I can't wait to see what you really look like!"
…
[Light bulbs, welding equipment, weapons components, workbenches, welding helmets…]
One piece of equipment after another was carried into the cave.
Tony extracted palladium from the missile.
[At last, a miniature Arc Reactor was completed.]
The terrorists weren't stupid.
[They compared what was on the screen with the Jericho missile blueprints Tony had previously released.]
[They quickly noticed something was wrong.]
They rushed to the entrance.
[The leader was about to shove a red‑hot piece of charcoal into Ethan's mouth.]
[Tony couldn't take it anymore and shouted for them to stop.]
[The leader said he wanted the finished product by tomorrow, then left.]
[Bang! Bang! Bang!]
[The sound of Tony hammering echoed through the cave.]
[He knew time was everything.]
[Finally—]
[The lights dimmed.]
[The first generation!]
[Completed successfully!]
…
Stark Tower.
Tony stared at the screen.
He couldn't help but admire himself.
In a cold, damp cave.
Surrounded by terrorists.
He had built a miniature Arc Reactor—
and the Mark I armor.
All one could say was—
for a genius like him,
the harsher the environment,
the more it forged unbreakable resolve.
Put him somewhere else.
No pressure.
He might still have built them—
but never this fast.
History creates heroes.
…
S.H.I.E.L.D.
When Director Nick Fury saw Tony build the Arc Reactor and Mark I armor, he was genuinely stunned.
Although S.H.I.E.L.D.'s early technology had been influenced by extraterrestrial sources—
and one of its founders was Howard Stark, the world's most famous arms dealer—
whose technology was decades ahead of public understanding—
Tony had essentially created a weapon from nothing.
Fury couldn't help but admire him.
"If this weapon and its underlying concept were developed by our weapons division,"
"it would take eight to ten years."
"But Tony Stark created it in such primitive conditions."
"He is qualified to become a key figure capable of turning the tide of the New York War."
At that moment,
Nick Fury was more eager than ever to recruit Tony into the Avengers Initiative.
…
On the screen,
the footage continued.
[As the lighting grew slightly brighter.]
The leader frowned and checked the monitor again.
[That's when he realized Tony was gone.]
He sensed danger immediately and sent men to investigate Tony's quarters.
…
[Quietly, Ethan picked up an RPG launcher.]
[Inside Tony's workspace.]
Tony: There's no time—screw it in already, don't worry about perfection!
Ethan wiped sweat from his forehead, tightened the screws, and glanced at the screen.
[With the outdated equipment, progress was still under 40%.]
The enemy was already at the door.
[If nothing was done, both he and Tony would die here today.]
So he spoke.
Ethan: I'll buy you some time. Wait for me!
With that, he grabbed an AK‑47 and charged outside.
[Tony was wearing the Mark I armor, unable to move until the progress bar reached 100%.]
[Watching Ethan rush out alone to buy them time.]
Tony screamed in despair.
When the progress bar hit 100%, Tony stepped out in the heavy armor.
He saw Ethan lying in a pool of blood, barely alive.
Tony's eyes turned red as he rushed to him.
Tony: Come on—we have to go! We made a promise! You can't break it!
Ethan: Things change fast, Stark.
Tony: Ethan, you have to go back to your family!
Ethan: My family is gone. I'm going to see them now, Tony.
Tony watched his friend—someone he had known for less than three months—fade away.
Tony: Thank you, Ethan.
Ethan: Tony… promise me you'll get out alive. You must survive.
[After gasping for a few final breaths, Ethan died.]
A sharp pain tore through Tony's heart.
But there was no time to grieve.
Tony stood up, turning grief into rage, and walked out of the cave.
[After a fierce battle, he activated the armor's thrusters.]
He shot into the sky like a firework.
[After tracing a beautiful arc, the crude armor began to fall apart.]
Tony crashed heavily into the desert.
Most of the enemies in the cave were already dead, and the Mark I's thrusters were incredibly powerful—
no one came after him.
[Tony wrapped a scarf around his mouth and nose to block the sand and kept walking.]
No one knew how long he walked.
Then—
he saw two helicopters circling overhead.
Military search aircraft.
Tony knew—
he was finally safe.
…
Stark Tower.
The atmosphere was heavy.
Pepper's eyes were red.
"Tony, promise me—Ethan was a good man. You can't let him die like this."
Colonel Rhodes stepped forward and placed a hand on Tony's shoulder.
"Yes, Tony. Ethan wasn't a soldier, but he risked his life for you. That makes him a model soldier."
"If you ever see him again—please save him."
Tony nodded.
When the video ended,
he acknowledged that friend from the depths of his heart.
And so he said:
"Yes. I will save him."
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