◉◉◉◉◉
Tony stood in the ruined Stark Industries exhibition hall, then glanced at Pepper rushing back and forth, coordinating repairs and paperwork.
"My favorite assistant," Tony said lightly. "How are the stocks looking?"
"Almost fully reacquired," Pepper replied efficiently. "Combined with Obadiah's shares and the sell-offs from minor shareholders, Stark Industries is back under your control."
She paused before continuing.
"When you publicly admitted you were Iron Man, the stock jumped briefly. Then it dropped again after you announced that the armor would never be sold or licensed."
"Some smaller shareholders panicked and dumped their shares, but I absorbed all of them."
"Good," Tony said decisively. "Then let's call a shareholders' meeting."
He gestured toward the shattered building.
"If rebuilding in Los Angeles is this much trouble, then Stark Industries is moving to New York."
Pepper looked up, surprised.
"I want to build Stark Tower on top of a large-scale arc reactor. Once it is operational, half of New York's power grid will run on clean energy provided by Stark Industries."
"That is real renewable energy. And a money-printing machine."
"I will make the arrangements immediately," Pepper said without hesitation.
She tossed the thick stack of rebuilding permit applications into the trash and headed downstairs with noticeably lighter steps.
After dealing with politicians for days, she was exhausted.
Sure, Tony revealing himself as Iron Man had turned all their carefully prepared alibis into a joke, but holding a grudge this badly felt excessive.
Unfortunately, reality proved otherwise.
They absolutely were holding a grudge.
From their perspective, Tony's fleeing the country had been a national problem. Tony embarrassing them publicly was personal.
And Stark Industries paid taxes no matter where it went.
He was not leaving the country. He was just changing cities.
New York, upon confirming that Stark Industries intended to relocate, was ecstatic.
This was excellent news.
Incredible news.
Tony rubbed his hands together, grinning.
"My dear nephew Jimmy. Your Uncle Tony is coming to New York to see you soon. I wonder how excited you are going to be."
Excited.
Maybe.
At that moment, Jimmy was in the basement, training.
His routine was different from most people's. He was not focusing on strength, but on agility and control.
With his raw power, if Jimmy wanted someone dead, the result was inevitable. A glancing blow could be lethal.
So instead of hitting harder, he trained to avoid being hit at all.
Wolverine might look like he charges straight through everything, bleeding half a liter per fight, but that was not a habit worth copying.
Not every attack drew blood.
Some were poisonous, Some electrocuted. Some dissolved flesh on contact. Some turned you to stone with a glance.
There were too many dangers to count.
Dodging was better.
He had the reflexes for it. He just needed to turn evasion into instinct, instead of letting enemies treat him like a punching bag.
Jimmy remembered seeing Deadpool after his transformation, casually overpowering Wolverine on a dam.
That was what happened when agility was neglected.
The basement echoed with sharp impacts.
Ping pong balls bounced wildly in all directions.
Jimmy wore his armor, performing short-range evasive movements. Three metal claws extended from his hands, each fitted with a cork tip, striking the balls and sending them flying back across the room.
At first, it had been chaos.
Two days later, it was effortless.
Soon, he planned to increase the difficulty by balancing on wooden posts while dodging.
…
"Jimmy."
Peter's voice echoed down the stairs.
"You are training again with the lights off. What kind of mysterious martial art is this?"
He stepped into the basement and flipped on the lights.
"I figured you were down here, No one was upstairs."
Jimmy removed the armor piece by piece and hung it on the rack beside him.
Under the lights, the armor's heat-treated blue finish and simple patterns looked understated, but elegant.
Beside it rested two blades.
One was a long saber. The other is a curved cloud-style blade.
Both had ornate scabbards that looked almost ceremonial.
Almost.
Ignoring their functionality would be a fatal mistake.
They were Stark-made.
And engraved directly onto the blade was the inscription:
"From Tony Stark to my nephew Jimmy Halstead, A small toy."
Ever since Peter laid eyes on them, his gaze practically glowed.
Jimmy, however, stubbornly refused to admit that Tony had made them.
Even so, Peter could not hide his envy.
"Those two blades are incredible," he said. "I mean, just look at them. Too bad they are way out of my price range. I do not exactly have spare allowance lying around."
"You could always figure out a way yourself," Jimmy replied as he walked toward the stairs.
"And how would I do that," Peter complained. "I can only work part-time during holidays. The pay barely covers anything. Not like you, you had money before your book was even officially released."
That part was true.
The Lord of the Rings had already been published. The first release came out as two volumes, and the draft for the next edition was already sitting on Jimmy's flash drive.
"Yeah, I have money," Jimmy said. "But I also spend a lot of it."
He paused.
"By the way, did you find a workshop as I asked. Buying it would be ideal, but renting is fine too as long as the conditions are good. I need at least an electric smelting furnace, a proper workbench, a power hammer, and machining tools."
"There is one," Peter said. "Actually, it would be perfect as a base, Plenty of space But it is pretty far from here."
"How far?"
"Across the river. In Manhattan."
Jimmy stopped walking.
"Hell's Kitchen," he said flatly. "You seriously think Yinsen would let me go there?"
Jimmy himself was not worried.
Yinsen definitely was.
There was no way he would allow Jimmy anywhere near a neighborhood that chaotic.
"Probably not," Peter said, clearly disappointed.
This was supposed to be the first secret base of Peter, Ned, and Jimmy.
At least, that was how Peter had declared it.
"By the way," Peter asked after a moment. "What are you doing this vacation. Ned found an online programming test job. I am thinking about checking with a newspaper office."
"I am going to the Rocky Mountains," Jimmy replied calmly. "Wilderness survival."
Peter stared at him', 'Man vs Wild?'
"…Right."
Clearly, they were not built for the same kind of fun.
After chatting for a while longer, Peter headed home to fix his bicycle. If the newspaper idea did not work out, he could always deliver papers. That job was almost guaranteed.
Jimmy watched his friendly neighbor leave, then sat down on the couch.
In his hands was a small brass cube. All six sides were engraved with intricate four-petal floral patterns.
The Horadric Cube.
It was the second item Jimmy had drawn from the system.
Along with it, he had also obtained a Master Servant Contract Scroll.
He stored the armor and both blades in his inventory, then found a suitable alloy chain and hung the cube around his neck.
It was time to test a dungeon.
…
"Yinsen," Jimmy said later, "I am planning to go hiking in the Rocky Mountains during the holiday. Any advice?"
"That sounds dangerous," Yinsen replied instinctively. "That place has…"
He stopped and sighed.
"Actually, if anything, I should be worried about the bears," he added. "Still, even if it feels unnecessary, I have to say it. Be careful."
"Oh, and do not forget. Stark Industries Tower will be moving here in two months. Make sure you are around for that."
"I know," Jimmy said, nodding.
"Do you have enough money," Yinsen asked. "Should I ask Tony to arrange some emergency outdoor equipment. Or at least a satellite phone."
Jimmy smiled slightly.
"No need, I will be fine."
◉◉◉◉◉
~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
◉◉◉◉◉
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!